They Don't Know About Us
by secretive131313
Summary: This wasn't supposed to happen. How could me, Katniss Everdeen, the broken, abused girl, fall in love with Cato Ludwig, the amazing, full of it frontman of one of the most popular bands in the world. And how can he love me back? Modern day, CatoxKatniss! Abuse, self harm, and other sad things but really great story. PLEASE READ!
1. Chapter 1: Sail

**Chapter 1: Sail**

**Hey guys! So, this is my new story. I hope you like it because I am SUPER excited for it! Just, keep in mind that the father in my story is in no way the same Katniss's real father in the books. Also, sadly, Prim will not be Katniss's sister in this story. I might use her as a smaller role at a different point in the story, but I haven't decided that yet. Anyway, for those of you who have never read any of my other stories, you should know that all of my chapters are thought of, and then I figure out a song that would fit with the chapter (or for this story, a song that is used in the chapter). For this first chapter, the song is Sail by AWOLNATION. I will explain why at the end of the chapter. Anyways, I hope you like it and please review!**

**DISCLAIMER: THG is by the one and only Suzanne Collins. I don't own shit.**

Cato POV:

10. 9. 8. 7.

I hear all of my fans cheering outside of the airport as I count down my last seconds of freedom. I cannot believe that I am being forced to do this. The record label thought that I needed a new edge, so they decided to send me back to my hometown to finish the second semester in a school. And it isn't even a private school! It's a public school, and I have no idea how I am going to take this.

Apparently, I am becoming too full of it and I need to be grounded. I still don't see how sticking me into a public high school is going to do that, but whatever. I didn't have choice, and now I am in LAX about to board a plane that will take me to the middle of nowhere. Great.

6. 5. 4.

"Its okay man," one of my two best friends, Marvel, says to me. "Its only a semester. You will be out of there in no time."

That's not exactly comforting.

"Yeah, and who knows, you might even like it or think it is a good experience," my other best friend Peeta says. I glare at him. It is at times like this when his optimism gets on my nerves.

3. 2. 1.

I say a final goodbye to my band mates, and I head with my parents to the terminal. We walk down the airport halls, and smirk at all of the stares at whispers as I pass by. This is it. My trip back to hell.

0.

I have no more time left. I walk to the gate that was assigned to my plane and head down and get on the private jet. I want to stall, but I know that won't do any good. My mom, dad, and sister all take their seats around me, but they know that I am too pissed for them to come near me. We get cleared for take off, and take off down the runway and into the air. No turning back now.

Great.

Katniss POV:

10. 9. 8. 7.

I count down the seconds and wait for the blow to come. Of course it does, and I feel a sharp pain on the left side of my head. I crouch onto the floor and look straight into his crazed, drunk eyes. I look up into them as he pulls his foot back and kicks me in the stomach three times. Hard.

I bite back my cries of pain. What good will they do any way? He grabs me by my hair and gives one more good punch in the arm, before he hisses, "You deserves this, you worthless little whore."

6. 5. 4.

He drags me upstairs to the guest bedroom. He shoves me down on the bed, and rips off my torn, bloody clothes. He takes off his pants, the same as almost every night since I was fourteen or so. I don't even fight, I know what is going to happen and there is no stopping it.

When he is done, he leaves me in the room to fend for myself. I drag my bruised, bloody and broken body down the hall to the bathroom. I pull myself into the bath tub and turn the water on.

The warm water feels like the closest I will ever get heaven. I let it wash away the blood. I start crying. Only when the water is running do I ever let the tears fall. Because then, the water drowns out the sounds of my crying and the tears mix with the water so that no one can see them.

I turn off the water and wrap a towel around my body. I head into my room and grab my little box. I remember this box. It was the last thing my brother ever gave to me. I take the box into the bathroom, lay down another towel, and open the box. I pull of my screwdriver and pencil sharpener.

I unscrew the bolts that hold the blade in and take it out. I hold the blade carefully in between my thumb and pointer finger and hold it to my wrist. I look at the other scars; cutting is not a new thing for me. I swipe the blade across my wrist, and watch the blood stream down. I do it a couple more times, before I put band aids on the three cuts then put the blade back into my pencil sharper, then put the pencil sharpener back in the box, then hide the box back in my room.

I throw on a tee shirt and sweats, and crawl into bed. I close my eyes, and try to focus on the darkness. After all, it is so much better than the light.

0.

I wish I had no more time left in this life, but I'm not lucky enough for that. No, instead I just have no more time left awake for tonight. Even though I would prefer not to, I will wake in the morning. I drift off into the nightmares.

Great.

I wake up around 11:00 and I head downstairs. I remember that it is the last day of winter break. Thank God! Now I can go back to school, and only be abused at night instead of all day. While I hate school, it is also a safe haven. Well, its safe from my dad, not from the kids at school, but they are easier to deal with than my dad.

I grab an apple from the kitchen and head back upstairs. Dad must have already left to go do whatever he does when he isn't hurting me.

I decide that since this is the last day of break, I might as well head to the rock. I throw on jeans and black tee shirt with a black hoodie. I braid my hair and pull the hood over my head. I slip on my worn out, black converse and grab my skateboard, guitar, and notebook and head down the road to the edge of the woods.

I found these rocks a little while ago on accident. I was fourteen, and it was the day after the first time that he raped me. I am sixteen now, but I still come here all the time. The woods are probably the only place I feel safe, and this rock is probably the only place where I can think.

I set stuff on the forest floor next the rock and start randomly strumming my guitar.

Cato POV:

The limo pulls up to our house around 9:00. Our house in Breaux Bridge Louisiana. While we were driving through town, I got to get a good look at my hometown. I had forgotten just how small this town really is. It has a lot of woods and swamps.

Our house is on a large piece of wooded property. It is huge, and probably the only decent house in this damn town. I get out of the limo and head up to my old room. It is exactly how I remember it from when we moved when I was 12.

My room is black and red and has a bunch of sports and guitars and stuff. Its still sort of perfect for me, but I do need to add one thing. I hang up my Mockingjay poster. Even though I am pretty mad at the band for making me take time off to come back to this shit hole, they are still my best friends.

"Are you alright honey?" my mom asks me. I didn't even realize that she was standing in the doorway. I nod, and say, "Yeah, just a lot of memories."

She nods, then looks at me and says, "Listen, I know you are upset, but-"

"Upset?" I say forcefully. "No, why the hell would I be upset that you guys are making me come back to this little town, go to a public school, leave my band, and leave LA!"

"It is best for you. You have been working really hard this past year and you need some time off as a normal 18 year old," she says. I glare at her, and she says, "You know, when you were younger and you would get mad, you would run off into the woods for hours. I can tell you are mad now, why don't you go outside and calm yourself down, alright?"

I was about to yell that she has to be out of her mind for me to do that, but then I remember just how much I love those woods. So instead, I nod and practically run outside.

I head out into the misty woods, and I feel better than I have in a long time. These woods were probably the only thing that I missed about this place. I remember my favorite place in these woods.

It was a clearing right off of our property. There were a bunch of rocks and a creek there, it was beautiful and a great place for me to go to think and stuff.

I cross the property line, and keep walking. I see the clearing off in the distance, but I hear something that stops me from going any further. I hear a guitar.

I sneak closer, trying not to make any noise. I want to see who is playing that and if they are any good. I get to a little cluster of trees right on the edge of the clearing. I see who is playing the guitar, but I can't tell anything from the person. Whoever it is had a black hoodie on with the hood over their head and their back facing me.

At first they are just strumming randomly on the beat up, old guitar, but whoever it is looking at a notebook. Then, I see the person write something in the book then close it and start to focus on the guitar more. While they are still strumming randomly, I realize what the person is going to do. An original song, this should be interesting.

But then, the person breaks out into a complicated melody. Damn, maybe this person is good. But playing the guitar is nothing compared to the voice I hear next. It is beautiful. It is the voice of a girl, but that's about all I can tell except for that this person is really good. I listen to the song.

**Sail!**

**This is how I show my love**

**I made it in my mind because**

**I blame it on my ADD, baby.**

**This is how an angel dies**

**I blame it on my own supply**

**I blame it on my ADD, baby.**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

Wow, this song is good. Without a doubt, this is not the sort of song I was expecting from this girl, but I like it. Her voice is undescribable. It is amazing, but underneath the beauty, there is so much…. Pain.

**Maybe I should cry for help**

**Maybe I should kill myself**

**Blame it on my ADD, baby.**

**Maybe I'm a different breed**

**Maybe I'm not listening**

**So blame it on my ADD, baby.**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

Did she say kill myself? God, this is darker than I thought. I want to talk to her, to let her know that I am there, but I have a feeling that that would scare her away.

**La la la la la**

**La la la la la oh!**

**La la la la la**

**La la la la la oh!**

**La la la la la,**

**La la la la la,**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail with me into the dark**

**Sail!**

**Sail with me into the dark**

**Sail!**

**Sail with me into the dark**

**Sail!**

**Sail with me,**

**Sail!**

She keeps strumming the guitar, even after she stops singing. That is, until she stops playing and I realize why. I had fallen from where I was watching her and I had made a loud crash. I see her grab all of her stuff and run off into the woods.

"Wait!" I call. I scramble up and try and run after her. But she is fast, and she is long gone before I can even run to where she was sitting. Great. I scared her.

But you know, tomorrow is the first day of school, and she is probably a teenage girl just waiting to show me that she can sing. Finding her is going to be easy.

**WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK?! I REALLY WANT TO KNOW SO PLEASE REVIEW!**

**LOVE YOU ALL!**

**-M**


	2. Chapter 2: Concrete Angel

**Chapter 2: Concrete Angel**

**Hey guys! OMG I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO EXPLAIN THE SONG FOR THE ENTIRE STORY IN THE FIRST CHAPTER I AM SO SORRY! The song for the story is They Don't Know About Us by One Direction. I know, I know, very mainstream, but I will be using a lot of 1D songs in this story because they just work perfectly.**

**Now that that is done, I would like to say a huge thank you to Wilhelm Wigworthy for giving me my first follow, favorite, and review of this story! YAY! Anyway, the song for this chapter is Concrete Angel by Martina McBride. It is such a sad song, but I think it works perfectly for Katniss's situation. PLEASE REVIEW**

Katniss POV:

I wake up to the buzz of my alarm clock. It's the first day back after winter break, I can't be late.

Yesterday, when I was on my rock in the woods, I was just playing one of the songs that I wrote, and I heard something crash behind me. I knew someone was listening to me. I have been going there for years, and no one has ever been there before. It was weird, and I ran away before I could see who it was.

I drag myself out of bed and into the shower. Since last night was the last night that my dad had me without school interfering, so he had made it even worse than usual. I finish my shower and put on a black long sleeve shirt, jeans, and my jacket. I wear the same jacket almost everyday. It is the best for covering up the scars and bruises. The body of the jacket is light denim, and it sort of like a vest. The sleeves and hood are grey, hoodie material. They are fuzzy and warm and hide my arms perfectly. The only problem is, it is never that cold in Louisiana, not even in the middle of winter. It is hot and muggy.

I pull my hair into a braid and put on all of the makeup that it takes to cover up the horrible bruises on my face, then run downstairs. I make a quick sand which with just bread and turkey, its all I have time for. I put it in my backpack, jam on my converse and hop on my skateboard. I put my earphones in my ears and block out the world as I ride to school. The only reason I have a phone is because my dad needs a way to contact me so he can make sure I'm not disobeying his orders.

I remember the first time he hit me. I was six, and I could never control my tongue. He came home drunk one night when my mom was out and he was supposed to be watching my brother and I. I remember Gale, who had been 12 at the time. He had always been strong and smart, and he was yelling at my dad about how irresponsible he was. I told my dad that he was selfish, which was a big word for me at the time, and he walked up and slapped me across the face.

My mom came home a couple minutes later, and before she came my dad had both of us under a death sentence about not telling mom or any one else anything. And we didn't, it was our secret. He hit me from then on when mom wasn't home, and I would always go into Gale's room and he would hold me while I cried. He was the best big brother ever.

But after the thing with mom happened, he ran away. He wanted me to come with him, but I was too hurt and too young, and I made him leave without me. He promised he would come back for me, but then we moved from Seam, Virginia to Breaux Bridge. He could never find us.

I would run away, but that would do no good. He would either find me, or I would be so afraid and broken that I couldn't go on. Besides, it's not like I had anywhere to go.

I ride up to the school, and see probably every student crowded around something. They are all jumping and screaming, and then I remember. Oh, right, that tool from Cato Ludwig from the band Mockingjay is coming to our school today. Great, another big headed jerk to torture me.

I push through the crowds and head to my locker. I grab my stuff and the bells rings so I head to first period.

Cato POV:

I can't get that song out of my head. I looked it up last night, and I was right, it is an original song. If only I can find the girl who did it.

I pull up to school in the new car that I got. My parents told me that I couldn't take the limo everywhere, so they took me to a place to get me a new car. They showed me a bunch of sports cars and stuff, but I insisted this pretty beat up, red Ford F-150 pickup truck. It was pretty awesome.

The second I get out, about 20 screaming girls run up to me. Dammit. They are followed by a bunch of other girls and then a bunch of guys. They surround me, and then I notice that the crowd is so large that it is probably everyone in the school. There are a few police men holding them back, so I am not completely mauled.

I see a crowd of football guys and cheerleaders, and I figure that those are the guys I will probably be hanging out with while I am here. I walk up to them and they welcome me willingly. They must have known that I would be hanging with them too. One of the girls, a strawberry blonde girl, smiles seductively at me and walks up to me. "Hi," she says in a sweet voice. "I'm Delly Cartwright, head cheerleader."

"Hey," I say back. I pretend to be interested in her flirting, but to be honest, she is just embarrassing herself. There are a couple other guys in football jackets that I meet. Their names are Thresh, Finnick, and Brutus. The other cheerleader that is with them is named Madge.

I walk with them to my first class. And so the torture that is high school begins.

My classes have been fine so far, and I have met a lot more people. I continue to meet everyone in the cafeteria. The food is freaking disgusting, so I don't really eat anything. I'll just eat when I get home.

The school and the record label are trying to portray to people that I am 'just a normal guy' and that is what they are trying to teach the students too. This is not a large school, so by the end of lunch, I have met everybody.

I walk with the group to my next class, gym. They stop to yell retards at a group of goth looking guys, and the knock the books out of some nerd's hands. Lastly, the slam this small girl into a locker bank. I know these guys are jerks, but I don't really have a choice but to hang out with them. I may be better than all of these people here, but I would never do that to those kids and I would go back and help them up if I had the chance. But I am at my next class, and it is too late to help them.

Oh. My. God.

I am so ready to get out of here. I had to stay about an hour late so that I could talk to some teachers and straighten my academics out, but now I am leaving. It is the end of my first day and these kids are so damn annoying. They haven't left me alone all day, and they are driving me crazy. I guess once they get used to me being here things will settle down, but it will be hard to wait until then.

And my 'friends' were some of the worst parts about the day. They are so mean and full of themselves. Not even how I'm full of myself, they are just really cocky and annoying. And that Delly bitch thinks she's my girlfriend. It is horrible; she has already tried to kiss me three times today.

During my free period, I came outside and reparked my car. This time, I parked it in the back of the school so that I can get to it without people coming with me. No one goes behind the school.

I walk fast, I am sort of pissed and definitely frustrated. The sky is grey and it looks like it is about to start pouring rain, so that makes me walk faster. I am not looking where I am going, and suddenly, I crash into a girl on a skateboard and all of her stuff falls.

I look down to see the small girl that Brutus had pushed into the lockers earlier.

"Dammit," I hear he breath as she crouches down to pick up her books. Wow, well that wasn't what I was expecting. I am stunned for a moment, then I snap out of it and bend down to help her pick up her stuff.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," I stutter out as I help her.

She is grabbing her stuff quickly, and replies, "Yeah, well maybe you should look where you're going."

This girl isn't sucking up to me. What is going on?

"Okay, well I'm sorry," I mutter. I look up and she looks up at the same time. I look deep into her olive eyes, and I look at her face. While she is wearing a lot of makeup, I can tell that she doesn't need it. She is beautiful, she isn't like anyone I have ever seen before. We keep our gazes locked, until she looks away and says, "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run into you."

I hand her the last of her books and we both stand up. "No, no it was all my fault. Um, I don't remember meeting you at lunch, what is your name?"

"I'm Katniss, and I didn't meet you at lunch," she replies back. What? I met everyone at lunch, or at least I thought so.

"Oh, and why was that? You don't need to be shy you know," I say arrogantly.

"It's because I don't care that you're here," she states simply. Woah! I really wasn't expecting that. There is something different about this girl, I just can't figure out what. I stand there, stunned, when I hear the crash of thunder and feel drops of rain fall on me. Though the rain has just started, it is already raining pretty hard.

Katniss POV:

What have I done? I was at school finishing something with my English teacher. Though I am only a sophomore, I take senior English. But then it took longer than I thought and now I am really late getting home and my dad is going to kill me.

It really doesn't help when that jackass Cato crashed into me and knocked my books down. He starts having a small conversation with me, but I am pretty irritated and on edge, and I couldn't help but snap at him a couple times.

"Hey, it's raining and it will get worse. You should probably let me give you a ride home," he says.

"No!" I say a little too quickly. He looks confused, so I quickly add, "I'm just going to ride my skateboard, it's fine."

"Are you sure? I mean, it's really no problem at all. I can just-" but I cut him off and say, "I said I'm fine. Now, I have to go. Goodbye." I say it quickly and harshly, then I pick up my backpack, put my hood on, and hop on my skateboard and race home.

Cato POV:

Oh. My. God.

A girl who doesn't treat me like I am some sort of a god. A girl who is real, and not annoying or slutty, but still beautiful.

I don't know anything about this girl except for her name, but I want to know more about her. I don't know why, but I just do.

Huh. Weird.

Katniss POV:

I run in through the back door. He is sitting at kitchen table with a plate in front of him. I start to explain. "Dad! I'm home! I'm so sorry I'm late, I go caught up in the rain and at school. I-" but he picks up the plate and throws it at me. I put my arms up in defense, and the plate shatters. I can feel my head and arms bleeding, and I fall to the ground. I see his shadow stalk towards me, and the beating of the night begins.

**Please let me know what you think! REWIEWS WOULD BE AWESOME!**

**Love you!**

**-M**


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome to my Life

**Chapter 3: Welcome to my Life**

**Helllllllo! Song for this chapter is Welcome to my Life by Simple Plan. I LOVE THIS SONG! And it fits perfectly for Katniss so I just had to use it. R AND R!**

Katniss POV:

Waking up this morning was more painful than it has been in a long time, and now I am at school, and I am still in a lot of pain. But of course, I can never let it show.

I head into English just as the bell rings, and I take my seat in the back of the room. Just then, I see Cato walk through the door of classroom. I had completely forgotten that he was in this class.

He looks straight at me, but I look away. I don't want to look at him, I don't want to talk to him, I just want to remain invisible and try and get through my life.

Class passes slowly, and I am barely even paying attention to the teacher. That is how much pain I am in. We have just finished reading _A Midsummers Night Dream _by Shakespere. Personally, it is one of my favorites.

"Okay," Mr. Cinna, or English teacher, says. He is a really nice guy, he tells us to call him by his first name, which is pretty cool. "So, for this project, you guys will choose partners, and each partner group will write a detailed summary of the book." Well, this will be fun considering I am the youngest person in this class and I have no friends in the class. Oh wait, I don't have friend period.

Just then, the bell rings and I gather my stuff. As we are all walking out the door, the teacher calls, "Have your partner decided and get working tonight! It is due Monday!"

I walk down the hall and try not to think about who I will be partners with or about what a disaster this project is going to be.

I hear quick footsteps approaching me, then I see Cato walk next to me and ask, "So partner…. Where and when do you wanna get started on this thing?"

Oh. There is no way I am being partners with him.

"I'm sorry what? I seem to have misunderstood you. Did you says partner?" I ask.

"Yes, I did," He says, but he must have still seen the mad expression on my face, because he added, "Oh come on! Please can we be partners. I mean, I don't have a partner, you don't have a partner, its perfect."

"Yeah, except for the fact that I don't want to be your partner. And what makes you think that I don't have a partner?"

He crosses his arms and gives me an expression that just says 'really?'

"Okay," I finally say, "So I don't have a partner. That doesn't make me want to be partners with you."

He stares at me again, and that gets me to thinking. Well, I don't have a partner, and I might as well just get it over with and work with him.

"Fine," I say as I finally give in. He laughs and says, "Great. So, do you want to work at your place? I mean, I would invite you to mine, but we are still unpacking and I'm pretty sure my parents wouldn't want-"

"No!" I cry quickly. When he mentions going to my house, I can't help but go right to defense mode. But it might have been a little too defensive considering he is looking at me strangely.

"Um, I mean, my dad is out of town and he doesn't let me have people over when he isn't there," I finish quickly. It was the first excuse I thought of.

"Okay?" he says cautiously, still clearly confused by my outburst. "Well then do you just want to meet in the library afterschool?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine. I can only stay until four though, so we have to work fast," I say. He nods and the bell rings. "I'll see you then," he says as we go our separate ways. I nod. Yeah, I'll see him then.

Cato POV:

Huh, I can't believe I actually convinced her to be my partner. Pretty much everyone in the class asked me to be theirs, but I knew that they were going to be weird around me. But I know that she will not be anything but herself, considering she apparently doesn't care that I am here.

But, while I am very happy that she agreed to be my partner, there is one thing that keeps repeating in my mind over and over again. Why did she freak out so badly when I mentioned her house?

Katniss POV:

We met in the library afterschool on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday afternoon. But by Thursday, I could tell he was getting suspicious of why we couldn't go to my house. And of course, I can't have him being suspicious, so I said that we could go to my place on Thursday.

That's the thing, my dad is never home between Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning. I mean, he comes home occasionally, but never for very long. He usually just comes to beat and\or rape me. So I think that it will be fine for Cato to come over.

The most surprising thing about these past two days is the fact that Cato and I have actually gotten pretty close. He is the closest I have been to anyone since I moved here, and it is kind of cool. He is actually pretty nice, and he is really funny, even if he is sort of full of himself.

But tomorrow will be the first time anybody has ever been to my house. Ever. And while I know that since my dad isn't here that things won't go badly, I also know that I am still nervous.

And that is what I think of instead of the pain as I fall asleep tonight.

**What did you think?! Please review! I am sorry that this was just sort of a filler chapter, but it had some important little things in it.**

**XOXO!**

**-M**


	4. Chapter 4: We are Broken

**Chapter 4: We are Broken**

**Hey guys! You guys are amazing, thank you so much for the awesome favorites, follows, and reviews that I have gotten on this story! IT MEANS SO MUCH!**

**Okay, well the song for this chapter is We are Broken by THE BEST BAND EVER also known as Paramore. The song title says it all, but if you want to know more of the reason why I chose the song, then just look up the lyrics or listen to the song. LETS KEEP THOSE AWESOME REVIEWS COMING!**

Katniss POV:

The final bell rings, I rush out of the classroom. I have been shaking and stressing for the past three classes. I don't know why, I just am.

"Hello!" I hear him say as he sneaks up on me at my locker and puts a hand on my shoulder. Surprising me is not a good thing to do. I jump and scream, and he lets his hand down.

"Woah relax!" he says as he looks me right in the eyes. "Its just me."

"I… I'm sorry. You just surprised me, that's all," I stutter back. He gives me a skeptical look, but I guess he just decides to drop it.

"You ready to go?" he asks. I nod, and we walk out of the back doors of the school to his car. I hop in shotgun, and we talk and laugh until we finally turn into my neighborhood. I can tell that this wasn't what he was expecting.

"Yeah, just turn right here," I tell him and he turns into my driveway. I have a tall, but pretty small house that is not really visible to the main road. It is covered by trees and over-grown vines, and the house is a plain grey stone.

We hop out of the car, and he just stares out my house. But he finally snaps out of it and we head in the house.

"Um, we should probably go up to my room to work on this," I tell him, and we head up the stairs.

My room is plain. It has grey and white walls, an old day bed with a black comforter, wooden floors, and a little desk. There are papers and journals and stuff all over the floor and walls.

"Sorry, its sot of a wreck," I say, trying to pick of some of the things on the floor.

"No, its fine," he says back. Then he asks casually, "Hey, where's your dad, I thought you said he was back from his trip?"

"Yeah. He's at work, he won't be home, so we have the house to ourselves," I say back, as casually as I can. "Oh, so is he the workaholic type?" He asks. "I guess you could say that….." I mutter.

He opens his mouth to respond, but I don't want to talk about this anymore. "Do want to start on the paper?" I ask, putting my fake everything-is-fine smile on. He agrees, then we spread out our stuff and start working silently.

"So what happened to your mom?" he asks out of the blue. Great, more questions I don't want to answer.

"Um, she died when I was ten," I say. There is no way in hell I will elaborate.

"Oh," he says blankly. Guess he wasn't expecting that. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, can we talk about this?" I ask. Talking about my mom kills me.

"Oh, yeah of course," he says as he starts working again. At least he can tell when to not push me to talk about something.

I continue working for the next hour or so, and I assume that he has been doing the same, but when I look up I see him reading something else.

"Oh my god!" I cry as I jump over to him and see that he is reading my songbook. At least its not my journal, that would have been just horrible.

"Give that back! You were supposed to be working!" I say as I reach for the book, but he holds it just out of my reach. "No, no, these are good. I didn't know you were into music. Are you any good?" he asks, laughing at me struggling. He cannot read those!

"No, I am not any good, now give it back!"

"Fine," he says. He drops the book, then crawls over to the side of my bed. That's when I realize that a corner of my guitar case is sticking out from underneath the bed. Oh crap!

"Do you play?" he asks as he picks up my guitar.

"Yeah, a little. My mom taught me a little bit, and then I taught myself the rest," I say quietly, looking down. We are silent for a moment, before he says, "Play one of them for me."

This catches me off guard. "What?" I ask. No way am I going to play for him, or anyone else for that matter. He is a global superstar, no way will I let him see the songs that I write.

"You heard me. Pick up this guitar and play one of the songs you wrote for me," he says, sort of demanding this time. He is smiling, but I am glaring at him. However, I am not stupid, and I know that he is going to get me to do it whether one way or another. So I reluctantly pick up my guitar and start playing the first of the songs that comes to mind.

I see his face go into shock as I start singing. I have no idea why though, I really am not that good.

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Sail!**

**Maybe I should cry for help**

**Maybe I should kill myself**

**I blame it on my ADD, baby.**

**Sail!-**

But he cuts me off, and he breathes, "That was you."

"What do you mean?" I ask. What the hell does he mean? Oh no.

"The day I first got here. I went to this clearing that I used to go to as a kid and I heard…"

Oh please don't say it.

"I heard you playing that song. I couldn't see your face, so I didn't know who you were, but I just can't believe that was you! I mean, I thought you were amazing! God, you can sing! And that song is really cool too, its just a little dark, you know?" he says. Dammit! It was him listening to me in the woods. This is not good.

"I don't know what you mean, but just so you know, I do not appreciate you listening to me like that! Now lets finish this paper," I say angrily. I'm pretty sure he can tell that I am pretty pissed at him, and I guess that he knows not to bother me.

We continue to work on the paper for another hour, and by the time we finish, it is pretty dark outside and I am starting to get a little anxious.

"Well, you should probably get going. I mean, its getting late and dark and-" but something stops me. I hear it just faintly, and to most it wouldn't mean anything, but it sure as hell means a lot to me. It is the sound of the door clicking open.

This can't be happening.

My body goes into dull alert mode, and I am suddenly throwing Cato's stuff at him as fast as I can. "What? Katniss what is happening?" he asks me, but I don't have time to answer him. "Shut up!" I whisper-yell to him, then I start muttering things. "God this can't be happening….. He wasn't supposed to be here….."

"What? Who wasn't supposed to be here? Katniss what is-" but he is cut off by a loud bellow. "KATNISS!" I hear my dad yell from downstairs. I cringe, and I know that I have to get Cato out of here. Now.

Cato is pale and obviously frightened by how angry the voice had sounded. "Katniss, who is that?" he whispers. I am thinking as quickly as I can, and I can hear my dad heading up the stairs. So I just do the first thing that pops into my scared mind.

I toss his backpack at him, open the window, and hiss, "I don't have time to explain. Just take this and jump out the window."

He looks at me like I have completely lost my mind, which in a way, I guess I have.

"You want me to jump out of the window? What the hell is going on?" he hisses back to me.

"Nothing. You just have to go now. Jump and then run and keep running until you get back to your house. Now matter what you hear, just keep going and don't stop. Alright?" I whisper to him, but he doesn't reply. Instead he just keeps staring at me like I am crazy.

I hear the footsteps coming closer and faster and I know I don't have any time left. "Please!" I plead desperately. He looked into my eyes and he must have seen how damn scared I am, because he nods and sits on the window-sill.

With one final glance at my terrified face, he jumps out the window and the door behind me bursts open.

In storms my dad, wielding a baseball bat in his hand. He is raving mad, and I know that I am going to be in some serious pain tomorrow.

"WHAT THE HELL YOU LITTLE WHORE?! WHO WAS JUST IN HERE?!" He screams at me as he shoves me down to the floor.

"N-n-n-n-n-n-n-no one. I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I promise," I stutter back. Just then, he swings the baseball bat down at me. I duck out of the way just before it crashes to the ground, making a HUGE sound and a dent in the floor. I am not going to last long tonight. He flips me over onto my back, and before I have to time to defend myself even slightly, he swings the baseball bat hard and it goes right into the side of my stomach.

I can't breath. Having the wind knocked out of me plus the pain that I feel everywhere add up to me being numb, and not even attempting to fight against him.

I never cry, because that would make him hurt me even worse. To him, showing emotion is weakness, and he will not take that. I don't even want to think about dealing with Cato tomorrow, but since we are done with the project and he hangs out with the popular people at school, I am hoping to never talk to him again. Ever.

My father kicks me in the side one last time, then he holds me down with one hand while he punches me in the face. I scream, but I know no one can hear me. I don't expect them to.

"You worthless, disgusting piece of shit!" he hisses while he keeps hitting me everywhere. Then, he gets up and leaves me to lie in my own pool of blood and eventually once he is gone, tears.

This is one of the worst beating I have gotten in a long time.

I hear him leave the house and I hear his car starting. I know he is gone, and by some miracle, I manage to drag broken body to my bathroom. I take off my clothes and I look in the mirror.

What I see scares me. I see a scrawny girl with pale skin that isn't visible because it covered in black and blue bruises. I can tell that I have a couple broken ribs, but I learned to grit my teeth through broken bones a long time ago. My leg is bleeding from where he kicked me. I have various scars from him everywhere, but my self-harm scars are mostly on my arms. There is a large bruise on the left side of my jaw, and I have a black eye and a busted lip.

He is right. I am disgusting. I limp over to my room, grab my box, and pull out the blade. I walk back to the bathroom, lock the door, then swipe the blade across my arm a few times. I sigh in relief as some of my emotional pain disappears. The blood on my arms makes me feel that much better. I am worthless, I mean, not even my own father loves or even slightly cares about me.

I drag myself into the shower and wash all of my blood, sweat and tears off. Then I dry myself off, get dressed and fall into bed. With the lights off and my body wrapped in the warm blanket, it doesn't take long for me to cry myself to sleep.

Cato POV:

I don't know what is going on, but the scared look on Katniss's face scares me. Because by the look in her eyes, she isn't just scared, she is terrified out of her mind. So, I do what she says and I jump out the window and start running.

Behind me, I hear yelling and screaming, but I fight through my urge to go back and I keep running. That is, until I hear a sound so loud that I am pretty sure it is a gunshot. HOLY SHIT KATNIS! What is happening? Did that sound come from her house?

I stop dead in my tracks. I am about half way home, but I don't know if I can keep going. I don't know how or why, but for some reason, I feel this connection to her that I have never felt towards anyone else. Just the thought of her scared face back there almost makes me run back. I mean, she never looks happy, like ever. She always looks like she is about to get punched or she looks like she has a wall that covers up what she is feeling. She doesn't really show any emotion, and I don't really know why, but that isn't the point here.

When she was singing, she looked like she was almost showing some emotion. But when the door downstairs opened, she showed a lot of emotion, but the most horrible type of emotion.

I want to turn back. I want to run back as fast as I can and help her, but thinking of how much she wanted me to leave causes me to start running again.

I keep running and keep thinking and worrying until I get to my house. I run past my parents and my sister who are sitting at the table, eating diner.

"Hi honey. Would you like to join-" but she stops talking when she sees me. I see them all stare at me, but I can't deal with them right now. So I run upstairs, take a shower, blast music, and go to sleep.

The last thing I see before I fall asleep is the horrible look on her beautiful face.

**What did you think of that epic chapter?! Please tell me in a review! Anyway, sorry it took me a little while to update. I am on my school's lacrosse team and I have practice until 5:15. I have a game tomorrow, so I will most likely not be able to update. Sorry, but I promise that I will have a lot of chapters up this weekend. PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Kisses!**

**-M**


	5. Chapter 5: Battle Scars

**Chapter 5: Battle Scars**

**Hello lovelies! Some more great reviews on the last chapter and I cannot thank you enough! Anyway, the song is Battle Scars by Guy Sebastian and Lupe Fiasco. I love this song, and if you look at the lyrics it is sort of perfect! Please let me know what you think in the form of a review! ;D**

Katniss POV:

I wake up screaming from one of the nightmares that I get frequently during the only time that I have away from the nightmare that is my life. That is my sleep. I wake up to beeping, and at first it scares the hell out of me. Then I realize that it is my alarm clock.

"No, no, no!" I cry as I hit the alarm off and realize that I was so tired from last night that I had slept through my alarm for two hours! God I am so dead.

I jump out of bed and go to race to my closet to throw some clothes on, then I cry out in pain. I am all kinds of sore from last nights beating. I try my best not to limp since I can't limp at school. And even though it is painful, I eventually get it.

I throw on a faded black pullover sweatshirt, jeans, my converse, and a black beanie. I don't eat anything and I grab my stuff and ride to school on my skateboard as fast as I can. During the entire ride I feel many shots of pain

Cato POV:

I am beyond worried. When I got to school I was a little worried, and then I went to her locker and she wasn't there, that made me worry more. Then once she wasn't in her first class and that got me to start to freaking out like I am right now.

What if she is hurt? What if that sound I heard last night had been something bad that had hurt her? What if she is…. I can't even think about the last one. She can't be.

Wait, why the hell do I care so much about her?! This is driving me crazy! The fact that I care what happens to her is making me crazy! All of her stupid secrets are driving me crazy! God I am just going crazy and it is sort of scaring me. I am not supposed to care about anyone, especially someone who isn't famous or incredibly perfect. Yeah, she is pretty, beautiful even, but I can't think of her the way that I am scared that I do. I shouldn't care this much, but for some reason, I do.

Since the final bell for the end of first period rang, I have been standing outside of her locker, dying a little with every minute that passes.

I wait there for ten more minutes before I finally see her walking down the hallway. She looks the same as always, so I guess that's good, but that doesn't stop me from doing what I do next out of pure relief.

Katniss POV:

I walk down the hallway as fast I can. Its bad enough that I missed first period, but I really don't want to be late for second period.

Then I see Cato. He is running down the hallway right at me with an incredibly relieved look on his face. What is he doing?

Despite the stares that he gets with every move he makes, he still comes running at me. My plan was to never talk to him again, but I can't really do much because he runs up and picks my little body up in a huge hug.

It felt weird. I haven't been hugged since the night my brother left, and so the feeling of being completely wrapped in someone's arms is something that is completely alien to me. It hurts like hell because of the horrible beating from last night, but it doesn't feel that bad. I feel almost… safe. Huh.

But then when he lets me go and I see the relief and panic flood his face, I know that the feeling of safety is short lived. I have a lot of explaining to do, a lot of lies to come up with, and not a lot of time.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I heard a g-g-g-gunshot after I left your house! I-I-I-I-I-I-I didn't know what happened, I didn't know if you were hurt! And you have to explain everything, why did I have to jump out of a window? Just why…" He trails off, but I know where he is going and I have to think fast.

"No, no, I'm fine!" I lie. Actually, that was a baseball bat hitting the floor, not a gunshot. But of course I don't say that. "And that wasn't from my house, I heard that too."

He still looks skeptical, and this isn't good. He can't suspect anything, Then he asks me frantically, "Okay, well that still doesn't explain why I had to jump out a window and why that man scared you so much and why he sounded so angry."

This part is a little harder to explain, so I just go with the first thing I can think of. I say, "Oh, that is my neighbor. He gets really upset when leaves from our trees fall into his yard and he isn't very good with people. That's why I thought you shouldn't be here, but I guess that I did overreact a little. Sorry if I scared you." I give him the best smile that I have; the smile that I put on my face to hide the fact that I just want to crumple up into a ball and cry.

He looks strange, sort of like he is thinking that what I am saying is true, but doesn't fully believe it. I need him to believe it, so I smile wider and say, "My alarm clock sucks so I woke up late and that is why I missed class."

This seems to do it for him, so he says, "Okay, well as long as you are alright." I nod and smile and say, "I am."

I hate telling people I am fine when every fiber of my being is screaming that I am not.

Cato POV:

Something isn't right. I don't know if I am just being paranoid or something, but there is something about that story that just doesn't work. I know she says that it was just her neighbor or whatever, but I saw how scared she was and there is no way that that was just some guy that was upset about a few leaves. But she seems to be smiling, so I let it go. "Okay, good," I say just as the bell rings.

Then something else weird happens. She practically runs away from me as fast as she can.

It is my free period and I don't have anything to do. Deli is sitting there annoying me and that Thresh kid is just doing that silent and scary thing that he does that is sort of freaking me out.

"Okay, well, I have to go get my um….. textbook out of my locker. I will be right back," I say, coming up with the best excuse I can think of.

"Okay!" she giggles at me, and I half walk half sprint away from the table that we were sitting at. Like hell I will be right back!

Instead, I just go sit in my car and think. There are so many times this week when I would just do anything to have Peeta and\or Marvel with me, and right now is definitely one of them. I just sit in the front seat of my car and stare out at the wall in front of me.

Then something catches my eye. I see the flash of a brown braid. I keep looking at where I saw it, and finally it appears again. This time, I see Katniss. She has something white and fluffy in her arms, but she is too far away for me to figure out what it is.

She looks around frantically, and since I know that she probably doesn't want to be seen, I duck down so that she won't see me but I can still sort of see her. What is she doing?

She then kneels on the ground and takes out the black sweatshirt she was wearing earlier. What I see terrifies me. She is in a thin tank top, but from the skin that I can see, it is completely black and blue and red with blood and bruises. I can't move. I can't even think properly.

I see her lift the side of her tank top to expose her hip. There are 3 large bruises there, one of which is bleeding a little. She then takes the white stuff (which I now know is some sort of gause) and tapes it onto the bleeding part. Then she puts the tank top down and puts her sweatshirt back on. Where did she get these? Why are there so many? What is happening? Who is she?

These questions fill my head and make it so that I am not really thinking. I don't think, I just get out of the car and start rushing towards her. I stop when I get there, and when she notices me, she tries to run but I guess she realized that that was useless. She sits on the ground with fear breaking through the usual stone in her eyes. I look down at her, not able to move.

Katniss POV:

I snatched the gause and medical tape from the nurse's office and made my way out to the back of the school. I look around just to double check that no one is watching, then I take off my sweatshirt and apply the makeshift bandage as fast I can. Once I have the safety of my sweatshirt back on, that I when I see him; the person who I really DO NOT want to see right now.

I see Cato running towards me, a look of shock, confusion, and sadness on his face. I try to get up and run, but I can't. He stands above me and just looks down on me. I look into his icey blue eyes, and I just can't stop. I am pathetic, and now he knows just how pathetic I am.

"Katniss…." He starts, still staring deep into my eyes, but I look down.

"Don't….." I stumble. "I-I-I-I-I-I can explain." He looks at me again, and then says, "I don't want you to explain. I just want the truth, alright? I don't want anymore of your secrets, I just want you to be real with me for once."

I look at the ground because there is no way that I can look at him. I don't want to see the pity or the sadness or anything, I just can't stand that and I remain silent.

"Can you do that? Please?" he asks. I see him sit down on the ground next to me, but I still can't look at him. I can't tell him everything, of course I can't! He is the most arrogant, mean, annoying and famous guy like ever, I CAN NOT talk to him!

But then why do I feel so safe with him? Why do I feel so much better around him? Why do I feel like I can and want to tell him everything?

I take a deep, shaky breath, then I say in a small voice, "It's a long story."

"Screw school," he says back, "We have time."

I almost laugh at this, but I don't continue telling him until he says, "Katniss, who was that guy last night and did that sound come from your house?"

Well, I guess there is no turning back now. So, I take another deep breath and reply, "Yes, that sound did come from my house, but it wasn't a gunshot. It was a baseball bat hitting the floor on the swing before it hit me."

"Katniss, who was that man?" he asks again. This is the hard part.

"That was my dad," I whisper softly, but I know he heard me by the terrified look that appears on his face.

"What?" he says shocked. "But then why was he hurting you? What happened? Katniss Everdeen, who are you? I mean, I am just realizing that I know nothing about your family, and you never talk about them and I guess now I know why but can you please tell me like your….. story?"

"My story?" I ask.

"Yeah," he breathes. So I inhale and then say. "Where do I even start?" He continues to look at me and I know that there is really no way out of this. I can't believe that I am doing this.

"Well, my dad has always had problems with drugs and anger and alcohol, but I was little and I didn't really realize what they were. He used to yell at me and my brother and stuff, but my mom would always calm him down. My mom was the sweetest, most amazing person ever. When I was six he hit me for the first time, and then he would sometimes hit me, but that wasn't a big deal. My brother would always fight with him and try and defend me, but we knew it was futile. My mom didn't know, and we didn't plan on telling her. But then…." I trail off, not being able to continue. I don't want to cry, but I am really starting to have a hard time holding the tears back.

"Yeah," Cato says while he nudges me encouragingly. But when I look up and look him in the eyes and he sees that there are tears in them, his expression softens even more.

Finally, I mumble, "You know how I told you my mom died?" he nods, and then I look up at him while I say the last part and the tears fall freely. "He killed her."

I start crying, and I put my face down into both of my hands. That was the first time that I have said that outloud. But then something unexpected happens. I feel him wrap his arms around me and just hold me while I cry.

I cry for a minute before deciding that since I have already said that much, I need to continue and get it all out. "I-I-I-I-I was 10, and he was even more mad and wasted than he had ever b-b-been. He got too mad and hit my in front of my mom. My brother wasn't there. She was shocked and she tried to defend me. B-b-b-b-but h-h-h-h- he shot me in my shoulder. This made her t-t-t-tell him that she was going to leave him. H-h-h-h-he got too mad! I watched h-h-h-h-h-him t-t-take the k-k-knife and s-s-s-s-s-s-s-stab her over and over again." I am sobbing uncontrollably now, and when I finish saying how she died, Cato draws in a sharp breath then pulls me closer.

"Shhhhhhh," he soothes. I did not expect him to be this comforting.

When I calm down a little bit, he urges me to continue. "Well, I survived getting shot, but I was really weak for the next three weeks. But my bother Gale was six years older than me, and when he found out what happened, he decided to run away. He begged me to come with him, but I was too young and too weak, and I made him leave without me. He swore that he would come back, but then we moved here from Virginia. I mean, he I probably dead now. I was going to run away, but I never could for a lot of different reasons. Then, he started beating me, really badly. Almost every night I would have to work like a slave for him, then he would beat me within an inch of my life. B-b-b-b-but when I was 14, he started… raping me. He beats the shit out of me every night, then he would f-f-f-f-force me to. He has always done so. I didn't mean for you to have to jump out of the window. He usually only comes home for a few minutes during the day to beat me on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so I didn't think he would be there. I am so sorry."

"No, no, its not you fault!" he says as he continues to hold me. I didn't realize how badly I was shaking until now. "I'm sorry that you had to listen to this," I say.

"You apologize too much," he whispers. "I'm sorry-" I start to say, but then I stop realizing that this is what he was talking about. Despite the situation and how I just poured out all of my demons to him, I start to laugh, and so does he.

But once we stop laughing and he is just siting there holding me, he whispers, "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because I didn't have anyone to tell. In case you haven't noticed, I don't have friends, people here don't like me, and I like to remain invisible," I tell him.

"Well why didn't you tell a social worker or the police?" he asks.

"Why would I do that when I would probably just get put in the same situation? I mean, I don't have any family to stay with or anything, so I will probably get put with abusive foster parents. There is really no point," I say. I know how the system is, and it is only slightly better than my current situation.

He nods, then he asks me, "So, now it sort of makes sense. I mean, you always seemed really closed off, and not like other girls. You eyes were like stone, and you were so vague about everything that I knew you were hiding something. However, I didn't expect it to be something like this," he says. I nod and then we are silent for a few minutes, then he asks, "Have you ever trusted anyone?"

I shake my head. "Not since my mom and brother." We are silent for a few more minutes, then he turns to me and says, "Well, you can trust me. You can always trust me, I promise."

Cato POV:

Seeing Katniss –the strongest person I have ever met- break down like that just breaks my heart. I can't believe that she has gone through and is still going through all of that. It makes me feel really helpless, and I know I will add that to the list of things that are making me crazy.

But I know from the second that her stone eyes meet mine that I will always be there for her, no matter what. I don't want to lose her, and I swear that if I ever see her father I will beat him up then put him behind bars.

"Well, you can trust me. You can always trust me, I promise," I tell her, and I mean it. Right now, I am not the global superstar that I am. For the first time in a long time, I am just myself, and I like it. I don't know or care what other people will think if they find out. We can take that as it comes, but now all that matters to me is being there for this girl.

I want her out of that house, but I know that it isn't that simple. For now, the only thing that I can do is help her when she is hurt and always be there for her. Because, I realized that I do care about her. I care about her a lot actually, but now I just need to figure out just how I care for her.

That is the hard part.

**Now you finally know the majority of Katniss's past. WHAT DID YOU THINK?! I would really love to know and reviews are great. Sorry it took me so long to update, but I have been sort of busy. I will have at least 2 more updates this weekend, if not more.**

**Love you!**

**-M**


	6. Chapter 6: DNA

**Chapter 6: DNA**

**Okay, so funny thing about the song for this chapter. I AM LIKE OBSESSED WITHT THIS SONG! If you listen to it during the last scene of this chapter, then it makes it a lot more epic and fun and awesome. So yeah, you might want to listen to DNA by Little Mix. Hope you like the chapter, please review!**

Katnisss POV:

I drag the blade across my skin and watch with fascination as the blood roles down my skin and the pain leaves me. It is Saturday night, and my dad hasn't been home since this morning so I decided to take a nap to catch up on some sleep.

However, I had had nightmares of the night my mom died, and all I can think is that it is all my fault.

So I woke up crying and went straight to get my box and then to the bathroom. There I sit and cut over and over again. I am about to drag the blade again, when I hear the doorbell ring.

"Shit," I mutter as I throw on the nearest long sleeve t-shirt and try and clean my face up. The shirt is grey, and I am just hopping that the blood doesn't run through. I head downstairs to the door and I open it. Who could be hereat 11:00 on a Saturday night?

Standing in the doorway is Cato.

"Um, what are you doing here?" I ask him, trying to sound as normal as possible.

"Well, I was sort of in area and I thought I would just stop by, see what you were doing and stuff," he says, but I can tell that it was just an excuse. I mean, what would he be doing in this part of town at 11:00 at night? Seriously, it isn't even a good excuse.

"Okay, well I am fine, so I guess you can go now," I tell him, trying to hide how desperate I am for him to leave.

"Now? Well, I just got here. Can I come in?" he asks. God, getting rid of him is hard.

"I'm just working on some homework, nothing fun, and you should still probably go," I tell him, attempting to close the door, but he stops me and smiles a little and says, "Okay great. Yeah, could I help you? Maybe we could work on it together or something?" he asks me, but I keep closing the door. "No, no, its late you should really leave." I am a little more forceful this time, and he keeps protesting, but I keep protesting too.

"Just go," I say pretty forcefully this time, and then I see his face drop completely.

"K-K-Katniss," he stuttered. "Yeah?" I ask. "Your bleeding," he says slowly.

Oh. Shit. I told him everything else and I don't want to tell him this too.

He is looking directly at my sleeve, and I now realize that I am bleeding through the thin fabric.

"Its just some red in from my pen. It started leaking-" but he cuts me off by stepping inside and grabbing my wrist. I can't help it, I hiss out in pain. He starts to say, "Did he do this to you?" as he pulls my sleeve up. I try to pull away and tell him to stop, but he keeps rolling it up. There is nothing I can do.

He stops when he sees the scars and the fresh cuts. He just stares at them, then looks up at me, then back down at them. Great, now he knows that I am even more of a freak than he thought before. I close my eyes and prepare for him to yell at me or to tell me that I a whore or a freak like everyone else does, but he doesn't say anything.

Instead, he laces his fingers in mine and leads me to the table in the kitchen. There, he sits me down, then he goes to the sink and gets a wet paper towel and a dry one and starts to use the wet one to clean up the blood. He still hasn't said anything, but he just keeps pressing the wet towel to the cuts. I hate being taken care of, but I am so confused by what he is doing that I don't stop him.

When they stop bleeding, he sits on a chair across from me and we just look at each other in silence for a minute. Then he just says, "I'm not going to ask why, I mean, I know why. But, I am going to ask you what you didn't tell me. I mean, you told me the physical things, but you never mentioned anything about what he has done to you emotionally. Can you tell me about that?"

There was a reason that I didn't tell him about the emotional stuff before, but I guess I have nothing to lose now.

"Well, when I was always sort of quiet, but I was really opinionated as a child. I was happy as long I was with certain people, but I didn't trust a lot of people. After I saw my mom die and my brother leave, I couldn't take it. I didn't talk, like, at all in four years. I was depressed and hurt and so lost. Then, right after the first time my dad raped me, I cut myself for the first time. I didn't even realize what I was doing, all I knew was how much better it made me feel. And I know that you probably think I am insane, and I probably am, but I just couldn't help it. I tried to kill myself twice, but every time I tried, all I could think of was how I would be disappointing her, and how she would have died for nothing, and I couldn't do it," I tell him blankly.

"Okay," he says, "But you are still mainly talking about the physical part. Man, you really aren't good about talking about feelings, are you?"

"Are you a psychiatrist or something?" I ask. He laughs a little than says, "No, I just want to know more about you."

"Well, you already know more than anybody else ever has," I tell him, but he answers, "Yeah, but you still haven't told me what you feel yet."

I stare out the ground blankly, then say, "I'm broken. I'm a wreck that can't be fixed, ever. I, I have been through way too much shit for anyone to deal with, and there is nothing that can change that. I am scared out of my mind of everything and especially everyone. Other people notice what a wreck I am, and they tell me how worthless and slutty and other things that I am. I believe every word that they say. I just want to curl up in a ball and cry forever, and there is nothing that can be done about it."

Then, we just sit in silence. We keep sitting in silence for a long time. We sit there until I say, "It's almost midnight, you need to be going."

He nods, and then we head to the back door. He walks down the steps, and he starts to walk down the driveway. He only get a few steps before he turns back and walks back to me.

He stands about an inch away from me, so close that I can feel his breath. What is he doing? Then, he finally says, "You're not broken, you're beautiful."

Then he does the unthinkable. He bends down and kisses me. I am scared to death in the few seconds that it takes for our lips to connect. I know that I am going to have a freak out, but then when his lips actually meet mine, the freak out doesn't come. Instead, I feel something. Something that I have never felt before, and it doesn't feel bad. For the first time in a long time, when his lips meet mine, I feel safe, I feel like I mean something, and I don't feel like I am about to fall into pieces at any given moment.

His lips are warm and soft, and they make me feel alive in a strange way that I can't describe. I feel his lips move on mine, and as much as I don't want to, I kiss him back. I'm not sure what is happening, but I'm not going to deny that I am kissing him back and it feels amazing.

The way our lips move together makes me forget all of the horrible things going on around us. I feel the kiss become more intense, and while a large part of me is thinking what the hell am I doing, an even larger part of me is thinking that this is the best feeling ever.

He hands move to rest on my hips, and mine run through his hair. I can't be doing this, I can't be doing this, I can't be doing this. But then why am I doing it?

Eventually, we both break apart, and we stand there with our foreheads together, breathing heavily.

"You should probably actually go now," I tell him. He smiles and nods, then kisses me one more time before he walks to his ca. After he drives away, I just stand there, not being able to contemplate what just happened. What did just happen?

Cato POV:

I have kissed tons of girls. Seriously, a bunch of them, some of them even freaking supermodels or whatever. But every girl I have ever kissed is absolutely nothing compared to how amazing kissing Katniss was. It was crazy, but crazy amazing.

I don't even know why I did it. I guess hearing her talk about how pathetic she was just got to me, and all I could think was that she isn't pathetic. I told her she was beautiful, and then the next second we were kissing. It took her a second for her to kiss back, but when she did, it was too amazing to be described in words.

I mean, Peeta and Marvel both have girlfriends who they love with all of their hearts, and that's sort of how they describe what its like to kiss them. But I have always been the one who just hooked up with girls, I never actually loved them or anything.

Then again, Katniss is nothing like any other girl I have ever met, and she makes me smile. Not just the kind of flirty smirk that I usually have, but a real smile that I rarely give anyone.

I drive home and then I walk in the house. I walk straight to my room, but my mom is looking at me strangely. That's when I realize that I am smiling like an idiot, and I don't care.

**How did I do with the kiss scene? I don't know, so please tell me. For those of you who don't want them to get together too fast, don't worry, that's all I am going to say about that. Any way, hope you liked it, now please review!**

**-M**


	7. Chapter 7: Heart Attack

**Chapter 7: Heart Attack**

**So, really special song for this chapter. It is Heart Attack by Demi Lovato (one of the people that inspires me most, just by the way) but that isn't why it is so special. This song works for both Cato and Katniss's feelings. For Cato, it talks about how usually he can get anyone he wants, but with her it is different. And for Katniss, it talks about how she can't fall in love, no matter what. So there's that, now I hope you like the chapter :)**

Katniss POV:

It was a mistake.

I thought about that kiss all yesterday, and now it Monday morning and I am positive that that kiss didn't mean anything and that it was a mistake.

We were both tired, I had just told him a lot of heavy stuff, and he probably didn't mean to kiss me. And even though I really, really liked it, that doesn't matter. Nothing can become of that kiss. Ever.

Because that kiss was fake. He is a superstar who is so full of it that he had to come to this little town in order to tone down his ego, and he has to be thinking that using me is the perfect way to do so. I mean, what better angle is there for him than helping a troubled small town teen? That would get him out of here so fast and I would be here just more hurt than before.

Besides, falling in love is stupid, because everything that falls gets broken. And I cannot afford to be anymore broken than I already am, so I will not get involved with him in any way. He would never love me. I'm not even pretty and he would just use me to get even more famous. I might be worthless, but I have enough dignity to not be used by him. I don't plan on seeing him ever again.

Cato POV:

It was the best thing ever.

I thought about that kiss all yesterday, and now it is Monday morning and I am positive that it was the start of something big. I can't get her out of my head, not matter how hard I try.

I don't care about her dad, or how messed up she is emotionally. All I care about is her and I want to fix her. I want to break through her walls and show her just how much I love her.

That's the thing, I have never believed in love, and especially not loving someone instantly. I didn't believe in that until Katniss. But now, I know that I love her. And that kiss was beyond amazing. I want to see her every second of everyday. She is all I can think about, and I don't know how I feel about loving her since I swore that I would never fall in love.

Katniss POV:

I keep my hood up and my head down and walk through the crowds of people to get to my locker. The first few periods of the day were a success. I didn't see him or talk to him once. Now it is lunch, and I am going to have to try extra hard to avoid him.

The crowds eventually disappear to the cafeteria, and I am left standing alone in an empty hallway trying to juggle my books and all of my other stuff. I put my books in my locker and I am about grab my lunch when I feel someone come up behind me. Dammit.

"Hey," Cato says as he stands there smiling at me. I glance at him, then grab my lunch and push past him.

"Did I do something?" he asks as he comes to walk next to me.

"No, I just don't know why you are talking to me," I state as simply as possible. He laughs a little then says, "Why am I talking to you? Really? Katniss don't you remember Saturday night?"

"Yeah I remember it, and it was just a mistake. One that will never happen again. Now goodbye Cato," I say as I try and walk away from him.

He looks stunned for a second, then he comes after me. "Katniss, I know what this is about and I don't care. You aren't worthless, you aren't any of the things that they say you are. And I don't care about your dad, its not your fault and I want to be there for you. I have never felt this before. I know you are scared, and I'm scared too, but its okay. We can do this."

God he is making this so hard. He is good liar, and if I didn't know better, I might have believed him. But I do, so I didn't.

"That's not what this is about. You must think I am really stupid, but I'm not and I see right through this. I am the perfect story for you. You need a way to get out of this town and go back to your fame and fixing me will give you the publicity you need to do so. But guess what, I won't be used so go find another charity case."

His face drops. "You think I'm using you?" he asks in disbelief. "Katniss, that's crazy. I'm not using you, not even close. I know that you don't trust anyone, but you can trust me. And you might not believe me, but I promise I am not. Katniss look at me."

I look him dead in the eyes, and what I see almost breaks me. His eyes are filled with love, which is not what I expected at all. But I still can't fall for him, so I say, "No, I have to go."

"Katniss-" he starts to say, but I interrupt him. "No, just leave me alone!" I walk down the hall and into the cafeteria, and he doesn't follow. That was really hard.

Cato POV:

I can't believe this. This can't be happening. This isn't over. I have to show her how much I care about her. I have to break through that stone wall that she has put up and show her that I know she can love. I need to show her.

**Please review. I know it was sort of short, but the next chapters are really fun.**

**XOXO!**

**-M**


	8. Chapter 8: What Makes You Beautiful

**Chapter 8: What Makes You Beautiful**

**Okay, don't be mad at me, but the song is What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction. I love 1D and you will see how this song ends up fitting perfectly. R and R guys!**

Cato POV:

I'm back from LA this week and I am just waiting for her to hear it. It should be on the radio soon, and I just need her to hear it.

_*Flashback to last week*_

_It was so good to see the guys. They were really happy to see me, but I could only stay for a few days. That was the deal. Once a month or so I would fly back to LA and the band and I would work on new music so that we could keep our success on the same level. I had written our first single off of our new album, and I was really excited about it. It is perfect._

_"So, anyone got any ideas?" Marvel asks us and I immediately say, "I have the perfect song."_

_"Okay, lets hear it," Peeta says, then I play the song. The producers love it and so do the other members of the band. We record it and everything and we released it._

Now I just hope that she hears it soon, because I mean every word of the song.

Peeta POV:

Marvel and I can tell from the second we see him again that he is different. And after showing us the song, we know it is because he met someone. We decided not to ask him about it and to have him tell us, but he never did which surprises us. But I can tell that this girl isn't just some sexy hook up, I can see that he really cares about her and maybe even loves her. The press is already getting suspicious, after hearing the song, that he has a girlfriend. It is al in the news and it is getting to be a huge story and a question that will eventually have to be answered. This is going to get interesting.

Katniss POV:

It has been 2 weeks and I haven't even looked at Cato once. Last week he wasn't even in school, but he is back in school this week. It is English, the last period of the day and today is Friday, so we are all ready to get out of here. We are all supposed to be copying the paragraph on metaphors on the board into our notebooks and working quietly, but none of us are really focused.

The teacher has the radio playing and the music is all that I am really listening to. I hear the song that was playing stop, and then the radio announcer starts to introduce the next one.

_As you all know, the lead singer of Mockingjay, Cato Ludwig, is currently staying in our town and going to school at our local high school. However, he went back to LA and the band released this new single supposedly written by Cato. But the question around the country is who is this mystery girl that he is singing about? An inside source says that the other two band members think he is in love, but they don't know any details. Here is the new single, What Makes You Beautiful._

I am barely even paying attention to the radio after I hear Cato's name since I don't want to hear about anything that has to do with him. But when I hear the song, I stop completely and listen to the lyrics. There is no way.

**You're insecure**

**Don't know what for,**

**You're turning heads when you walk through the door.**

**Don't need makeup,**

**To cover up,**

**Being the way that you are is enough.**

No way. My head snaps up and I look right at Cato. I see him turn away from all of the people that were talking to him and look right at me. He smiles, and with that smile I have an epiphany. Cato wasn't lying, I can see it on his face. He really does care about me the way he said that he did. I can't believe this, and I smile back and listen to the rest of the song.

**Baby you light up my world like nobody else,**

**The way that you flip your hair makes me overwhelmed,**

**But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,**

**You don't know,**

**Oh, oh,**

**You don't know your beautiful.**

**If only you saw what I can see,**

**You'd understand why I want you so desperately,**

**Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe,**

**You don't know,**

**Oh, oh,**

**You don't know your beautiful,**

**Oh, oh,**

**That's what makes you beautiful.**

**So c-come on,**

**You've got it wrong.**

**To prove I'm right**

**I put it in a song.**

**I don't know why,**

**You're being shy,**

**And turn away when I look into your eye-eye-eyes.**

**Everyone else in the room can see it,**

**Everyone else but you.**

**Baby you light up my world like nobody else,**

**The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,**

**But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell,**

**You don't know,**

**Oh, oh,**

**You don't know you're beautiful.**

**If only you saw what I could see,**

**You'd understand why I want you so desperately,**

**Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe,**

**You don't know,**

**Oh, oh,**

**You don't know you're beautiful,**

**Oh, oh,**

**That's what makes you beautiful.**

My head is spinning. I don't know what to say or think, but I do know that I most definitely care about him. I hate to admit it, but I care about him a lot.

**Na na na na na na na na na na**

**Na na na na na na**

**Baby you light up my world like nobody else,**

**The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,**

**But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,**

**You don't know,**

**Oh, oh,**

**You don't know you're beautiful.**

**Baby you light up my world like nobody else,**

**The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed,**

**But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell,**

**You don't know,**

**Oh, oh,**

**You don't know you're beautiful.**

**If only you saw what I could see,**

**You'd understand why I want you so desperately,**

**Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe,**

**You don't know,**

**Oh, oh,**

**You don't know you're beautiful,**

**Oh, oh,**

**You don't know you're beautiful,**

**Oh, oh,**

**That's what makes you beautiful.**

When the song ends, all I can do is sit there and stare at the page in my notebook that I was supposed to be writing on. But I can't concentrate on the stupid metaphor paragraph, all I can concentrate on is this insane feeling that I am feeling. It is like someone has finally broken through the stone wall that I have put up constantly. It takes all my restraint not to run into his arms and have him hold me or kiss me this very second.

No, but the second the bell rings I grab my stuff and race out of the classroom. I know he got the message, and I just keep walking as fast as I can until I burst through the doors and I am standing in the back of the school.

I see Cato's car parked and my skateboard hidden behind the dumpsters.

Just then I hear someone burst through the doors that I just came out of and I know who it is.

I turn and see Cato standing there, looking right at me. At first he looks at me apologetically, as if I might be mad, and I just stare back at him. Then I don't think, I just do.

I run into his arms and kiss him with all the passion that I have in me. At first I can feel that he is shocked by me kissing him, but then he realizes what is happening and he immediately kisses me back with just as much passion. I kiss him urgently and I run my hands through his soft hair and he pulls me close.

He smiles into the kiss and I smile too. We break away to catch our breath for a second, and he whispers, "I'm serious, you are so beautiful."

"An you are a nutcase," I whisper back, and we both start laughing. Then he pulls me into his admittedly muscular arms and we just rock back in forth hugging each other. "Its our secret, right?" I ask him in a whisper. "Of course," he says.

We stand there hugging for a long time, and when he finally lets go and we go our separate ways, I want nothing more than to be back in his arms. What the hell is happening to me?!

**Wasn't the song sweet? I'm sorry I just really liked that. Anyway, please review it would be AMAZING!**

**Love ya!**

**-M**


	9. Chapter 9: Not a Bad Thing

**Chapter 9: Not a Bad Thing**

**The song for this chapter is really special to me. It is Not a Bad Thing by Justin Timberlake. This song really makes me feel loved and I LOVE this song! It is also one of the special songs between my and my BFFL who I love to death so yeah, I hope you enjoy it. Another good song for this chapter is Airplanes by Hayley Williams and BOB. ENJOY!**

Katniss POV:

I hear the sound of a car horn honking in the driveway and I walk over to my window. It is six o'clock Saturday night and I see Cato in his truck grinning. What is he doing?

I walk downstairs and over to his car. It is a hot and muggy night, but the sun is setting and the sky is really pretty.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him. This makes him smile wider and he says back, "You'll see. Just get in the car."

I glance down at myself. I am wearing a black tee shirt and grey sweatpants. I don't even have a jacket to cover up the scars and bruises. I ask him, "Are you serious?"

"Relax, no one will see you it doesn't matter. Just come on! I promise, it will be really fun," I laugh at him and then hop into shotgun. We drive off, and when I look in the backseat, I see that he has a whole mess of blankets and pillows on the backseat. He also has a box of pizza, some water bottles, and a guitar. What is he thinking?

"You're crazy, you know that right?" I ask him as we drive. He laughs then says, "Yes, but you like my crazy."

Now I laugh and nod.

We keep driving until we reach the town limits. Now we are pretty much in swamp lands in the middle of nowhere.

He finally turns into this path that leads into the woods. It is a trail that you are supposed to walk on, but it is wide enough for his truck to fit through. Maybe he is actually crazy.

"What are you doing?" I ask him for probably the hundredth time.

"You'll see!" he says. That is how he replied every time that I asked him that question. I don't know why he won't just tell me.

We finally turn one more time, and now we are in an empty, flowery field. It is sort of gorgeous. To the right is a creek which I suspect leads to a lake of some sort. The sun is setting and this place looks amazing.

I just stare at it in awe as we get out of the car. Cato goes to the back of his truck and opens up the back.

"How did you find this place?" I ask him. He grabs some of the blankets out of the back of the car and starts to arrange them on the floor of the back of his pickup truck.

"My family owns all of this land. A little bit over there, there is a waterfall and a lake that we can go to sometime. And then over there, there is this mud pit that is awesome. I really like coming out here, and I thought it would be perfect for us to come to," he answers as he finishes with the blankets and moves on to the pillows.

"Its amazing," I breath, still looking around in awe.

"I'm glad you like it," he says as he hops into the back of the truck onto the blankets and pillows. "Now hop in and grab some pizza."

I laugh and he helps hoist me up into the back of the car. I grab a piece of pizza and we just start to talk.

"So, how have things been these past two weeks?" he asks me. I nod, and say, "Great."

"Don't do that," he says back quickly, and I give him a questioning look, then he says, "You don't have to do that. It's me, tell the truth."

I breath and say, "Horrible as usual. You know, my dad is always finding new ways to torture me. Nothing new."

"You don't have to act like it doesn't hurt you," he tells me, but I say, "I have been numb to it for years, there is not changing that. It kills me, but I have learned to live with it."

"But you don't have to just live with it anymore, you realize that right?" he asks me. I shrug and say back. "Yeah I guess."

We sit in silence for a while. There are so many things that I want to stay, but as usual, I don't say them. But then I stop and think. I can trust him, I need to learn to trust him. So I break the silence by saying, "I learned never to show my emotions. Ever. That is why talking to you is so hard. I'm just afraid….."

"What are you afraid of?" he asks me.

"I'm afraid of falling for you. I'm afraid that I am going to give everything I have and then everything will come crumbling down for some reason. It sucks you know, because I know that this is too good to be true but I am letting myself get into it anyway."

He scoots closer to me, and he puts his hand out and cups my cheek, then he says, "I will never let that happen. I swear."

I nod slightly, and I actually sort of believe him. Or, at least I want to believe him. But if this blows up than there will be nothing that he can do and it will all be my fault. It will be because of my dad, or my problems, or maybe he will just be smart and realize he doesn't care about me.

"Now, I want to show you something," he tells me, and he gets up and reaches over for his guitar.

"What are you doing?" I ask him smiling a little. He laughs and says, "I wrote you a song. You want to hear it?"

I laugh and say, "I don't know….. Okay fine."

"Perfect," he says, and he starts to strum and play the song. The song is amazing.

**Said all I want from you is to see you tomorrow,**

**And every tomorrow, maybe you'll let me borrow your heart.**

**And is it too much to ask for every Sunday,**

**And while we're at it, throw in every other day to start.**

**I know people make promises all the time,**

**Then they turn right around and break them.**

**When someone cuts your heart open with a knife,**

**And you're bleeding.**

**But I could be that guy, to heal it over time,**

**And I won't stop until you believe it,**

**Cause baby you're worth it,**

**So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love, with me.**

**Cause you might look around and find your dreams come true, with me.**

**Spend all your time and your money just to find out that**

**My love was free.**

**So don't act like it's a bad thing, to fall in love with me, me.**

**Now how about I be the last voice that you hear tonight?**

**And every other night, for the rest of the nights that there are.**

**Every morning, I just want to see you staring at me,**

**Cause I know, that's a good place to start.**

**I know people make promises all the time,**

**Then they turn right around and break them.**

**When someone cuts your heart open with a knife,**

**And you're bleeding.**

**But I could be that guy, to heal it over time,**

**And I won't stop until you believe it,**

**Cause baby you're worth it,**

**So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love, with me.**

**Cause you might look around and find your dreams come true, with me.**

**Spend all your time and your money just to find out that**

**My love was free.**

**So don't act like it's a bad thing, to fall in love with me, me.**

**No, I won't fill your mind,**

**With broken promises, and wasted time.**

**And if you fall, you'll always land, right in these arms,**

**These arms of mine.**

**Don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love, with me.**

**Cause you might look around and find your dreams come true, with me.**

**Spend all your time and your money just to find out that**

**My love was free.**

**So don't act like it's a bad thing, to fall in love with me, me.**

**It's not such a bad thing to fall in love, with me. Oh,**

**Not such a bad thing to fall in love, with me.**

When he finishes the song, neither of us say anything. That is until I can't hold in what I want to say anymore. "I love you," I breathe. The words fell strange to say, but not in a bad way. Strange in a sense that I haven't said them in what feels like forever. But it is a good sense, because I really do think that I love him.

"I love you too," he tells me, and I believe him. I crawl into his lap and he holds my small body while I kiss him all night long.

Maybe this whole love thing isn't that bad after all.

**See? Wasn't it sweet? I think that that song is just the sweetest thing ever. To the guest who said that Fix You by Coldplay would have been a good song for chapter 7, I was going to use Fix You because I LOVE that song, but I used it for a song chapter title in one of my other stories so I used the other one instead.**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**-M**


	10. Chapter 10: Give Me Love

**Chapter 10: Give Me Love**

**Hello! I got a lot of great reviews on the last chapter, so lets keep that going. The song for this chapter is Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran. I saw him live with Taylor Swift and I love him! This song just sort of works for this chapter. Its not that the lyrics fit perfectly, its just that the song works. Pleeeeeeeeease review!**

Katniss POV:

I wake up and wait for the pain to come. But I am completely surprised when it doesn't. Instead I feel safe and warm and entirely different from I how I have felt waking up for the past 6 years of my life.

My eyes snap open and I am ready to defend myself, when I realize I am not in my bed. Instead I am wrapped in Cato's arms and we area outside. Then I remember. The field, the pick up truck, the song, Cato and I kissing and talking all night long, and then us eventually falling asleep. I close my eyes and then try and go back to sleep, but then it dawns on me. Oh shit, I fell asleep and I was out all night. My dad gets home on Sunday mornings, and when he finds that I am not there…. Oh shit.

I bolt up and start to scramble to get up from the back of the truck. "What's going on?" Cato asks as he sits up groggily.

"I fell asleep. I didn't come home last night. My dad gets back this morning I have to go home! I have to go home right now he's gonna kill me!" I didn't even realize that I was freaking out and yelling until Cato sat up and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Shhhh. Shhhh. Its going to be fine, alright, just stop get in the car and we can go there right now. I won't let him hurt you," he tries to tell me, but I know that if he does hurt me that there will be nothing that Cato can do about it.

We both throw everything in the back of the car and we start racing out of the field and down the road. We turn out of the woods and onto the main road and I realize that I am shaking.

"Relax. We are almost there and it's early, he might not even be back yet," Cato says in a very sweet attempt to make me feel better, but it doesn't work.

As soon as we drive past the sign for the city limit, I really start to freak out. The images of all of the things that he has done to me start flooding through the gates that I usually use to keep them blocked. I see all of the things that he has done to me because they are all things that he might do to me if he finds out that I'm not home. I am vaguely aware of the car coming to a halt, but I don't pay attention to it.

"Katniss shhhhhhhhhhhh. Shhhhh its okay everything will be fine. He isn't here," he starts to say, and I start feeling his hand in mine. Oh my gosh, this can't be happening.

Ever since my dad started abusing me, I have had these moments when all I have been able to see are the things he does to me. Things will trigger them, like if I am in a room with a lot of guys, or movies with rape or violence of any kind. I can't block them and there is nothing that can be done to snap me out of it. I knew that I was having one of those moments, but then Cato did. I don't know how he did, but he did.

I look him in the eyes, and somehow it breaks through all of my fear and makes me start thinking straight and I know that I can't let him take me any closer to home. I have to keep him safe.

"I have to go and you have to go home," I tell him.

"What? No, I have to take you home! I'm going with you!" he tries to tell me, but I look at him and say, "I will be fine, but I can't let you take me back. It will make things worse and you can't get hurt."

"But-" he tries to say, but I cut him off by saying, "No, I will be fine. I will call you tonight, I promise. I love you, please go." I jump out of the car and start running.

I turn back and see his face in through the windshield. He is just sitting there, looking horrified. I hate that he has to be worried about me, but I don't let it stop me now.

I run home as fast as I can. I am panicking, but I am trying to breakdown again. I can't afford to show weakness when he sees me. His car is in the driveway, and now I know just how screwed I am.

I burst through the front door, and to my surprise, I am not beaten bloody or yelled at right away. Instead, I hear laughter? This can't be good.

I walk into the house slowly and cautiously. When I walk into the living room, I see my dad sitting on the couch with a bottle of liquor and two other huge guys, both smoking something that I can pretty much guarantee isn't legal.

"Ah, Katniss, how nice of you to finally join us," my dad slurs as he sets the bottle down and gets up and starts walking towards me. His goons get up too, and I brace myself for what is coming.

"I-" I start to stumble out but the two men grab me. Before I can say another word, my dad punches me in the stomach so hard that I can't breathe.

"Katniss, meet Romulus and Darius, we have been waiting for you," my dad growls as he punches me several times. Then, the two men drop me and I fall to the floor in a coughing, sputtering heap. I look up and I see a blurry image of the two men, Romulus and Darius, giving my dad money.

No! No, no, no, no, no, no! No he can't do this! This can't be happening! But then I remember that he can do this and that this can be happening. The two men step away from my father and they come back over and haul me up. I can't help it, I am wimpering as they drag me down into the basement and do what they paid my dad to do.

I am pretty sure that I blacked out after Darius's turn on me because when I come back into consciousness, I can tell that I have been out for a little bit. I am laying on the floor of the basement, bruised, bloody, and stark naked so I can see just how horrible the damage is.

I push myself up a little, only to see the condom wrappers on the floor and the blood stains that are with them. This makes me lean over and puke until there is nothing left to throw up.

Then, I drag my body up the stairs onto the main floor, and I look out of the window to see that it is dark outside and my dad's car isn't here and neither is he.

Then I drag my body up the stairs to the bathroom. I turn on the water and sit there in the tub as I watch the water turn red from the blood, but this time feels different from all of the others. He sold me. He sold my body like I was a prostitute. I didn't even think he was capable of doing that, but I know that he is capable of way too many cruel things and I just add this one to the list.

But now just sitting there isn't enough. The water isn't red enough and I want, no need, to feel something more. I don't even bother to get a towel. I just leave the water running and run into my room to grab my box. I grab it then run back into the bathroom and pull out the blades. I just swipe them as fast and as hard as I can. I don't even care.

I go sit back in the bathtub and wash the blood into the water. I don't even care that the water stings, the pain feels so good. I look at the bloody water and I almost smile at how I feel at least a little bit better for now, but then my mind start screaming one name. Cato!

When I think of Cato, I drop the blade into the water and my face goes blank for a moment before I break down sobbing harder than I have cried in a long time. I keep crying and crying until I practically fall down. I can't help it, just thinking of what he would think just kills me.

It's killing me so bad just to think of what he would say. I can't even think straight anymore, and I just can't stop crying as hard as I try.

I guess that drives me to do what I do next, and that is through on a tank top and sweats then run down to the basement where I find my phone still in the pocket of my sweatpants. I am not thinking at all, because I call Cato and I am still crying hysterically.

"Hey. What's up? I wasn't sure if you were going to call," Cato says, and he sounds sort of happy. That makes me die more, and I don't say anything.

"Hello? Katniss?" he asks, and I just cry out, "How can you possibly love me?" I am sobbing hysterically and sort of screaming into the phone.

"Katniss, what's going on?" he asks frantically.

"God, I'm so worthless, and slutty, and stupid. I hate myself how the hell do you not hate me?" I scream. I usually don't lose control like this, but after being sold like property I can't help it.

"No, no Katniss you're not! That's it! I'm coming over there! I'll be there soon, I love you so much Katniss," he says frantically, but I am sobbing too hard to say anything back. I just curl up into a ball and cry.

Cato POV:

Screw the speed limit, I drive down the road to her house as fast as I can. I don't know what happened, but she calls me at 10:30 at night and she is hysterically and talking about how I can't possibly love her and about how worthless she is, something must be really wrong. I pull into her driveway and I don't even turn off the car, I just jump out and run inside.

I run through the doors, and I know that I am safe since there are no other cars in the driveway.

"Katniss!" I call as I run in, but no one answers. I run through the house and try to find where she might be. I run up to her room, but she isn't there. I hear water running, so I follow the sound and it leads me to the bathroom. What I see scares me so badly. The water is still running in the bathroom, but the water is a dark red. Oh no, this really isn't good.

The water is about to overflow, so I walk over and turn it off, and then I race downstairs, and call for her again. I am about to go to the back of the house, when I hear soft cries. I know that that has to be her, so I follow the sounds and they lead me to a door with stairs that lead downward.

I practically jump down the stairs and I look in the dark room. It is small, and clearly a basement. I see blood on the floor, and it leads me to Katniss, who is sitting in a crumpled ball in a corner.

She is entirely black and blue and bleeding and hysterical, but even in this state, how beautiful she is takes my breath away.

I slide down on the ground and take her in my arms. At first, she screams, but then when she realizes that is me she just lets me hold her while she cries. I have never held someone so close to me like this in my entire life. I am usually a wall of arrogance, which I have a right to be because I am a global superstar, but with her, all I want to do is love her and always be there for her. This broken girl is the only one who can fix me.

When she eventually stops crying, I still just sit there and hold her in my arms. We are both silent except for the sounds of our heavy breathing.

"Why are you here?" she asks me, still letting me hold her.

"Because I love you and you called me and you were upset and saying things that aren't true," I reply simply.

"Yeah I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry," she says as she gets up from me. I don't want her to move, so I quickly say, "No, no you should have. I'm glad that you did."

But she shakes her head and says, "I don't know why you came," her voice is so hauntingly calm that it makes me dread learning what happened even more than I did before "I don't know why you care, and I especially don't know why the hell you love me. I am just a stupid, worthless piece of shit-"

I can't take anymore of her talking like this, so I look her right in her eyes, and I say, "Because you are beautiful, even with your scars. Now, tell me what happened."

She looks at me for a moment, then I pull her into my lap and I get a good look at her for the first time. She has some bruises on her face, a slit lip, and her arms are covered in bruises. I can see that she cut after whatever happened because she has cuts all of her arms that are bleeding.

She nuzzles her head into the crook of my neck and she whispers, "He sold me."

"What?" I ask, not really understanding what she meant by this.

"I mean, two guys paid him to have sex with me. He sold my body like I was his prostitute or something."

Oh my god. I swear, if I ever meet this son of a bitch I will hurt him so bad. He is without a doubt the most horrible person I have ever heard of. Katniss has told me a lot of the truly horrible things that he has done to her over the years, but it seems like this one just really crosses the line, even more so than the others did. It is so horrible that it makes me want to die. I can only imagine what Katniss is feeling.

Her being treated like this makes me sick to my stomach. I can't stand the thought of all of this happening to her, but right now, my hands are tied. But in this moment I make a promise to myself. I swear the one day, I will somehow save her and bring her dad to as much justice as I can. I swear it.

I don't know what to say, so I just hold her in my arms while she starts crying again. I comfort her as much as I can and I hope I help. I stay with her for hours. I stay until she makes me leave. I never want to leave her, but I do, just because I love her.

**Comments? Suggestions? Love it? Like it? Hate it? Please let me know! Love you all sooooo much!**

**-M**


	11. Chapter 11: Unpredictable

**Chapter 11: Unpredictable**

**OH MY GOSH SUPER PUMPED ABOUT THE SONG FOR THIS IS BY MY SECOND FAVORITE BAND EVER 5SOS! It is Unpredictable by 5 Seconds of Summer. I LOVE THEM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH! Anyway, hope you like the chapter and to Camille or Dauntlesspanda, happy birthday and your review made me smile! Thank you so much and this one is for you (Sorry I couldn't have it up in time for your birthday, I was SUPER busy this weekend!)**

Announcer:

_And in other news, let's see what's going on in the insane world of the celebrities. Over to you Camille._

_Thank you. Now, I am sure you all know about lead singer of Mockingjay, Cato Ludwig, and how he is "keeping it real" by going back to school in his hometown. And while we all know of his two band mates' long term relationships, Ludwig has been the only one who has yet to find love. He is known as the bad-boy heartbreaker, but does he have a soft side? Over the past month, the band has come out with songs about some girl. While there have been no hints to who this girl might be, an inside source has told us that they have been written by Cato. I think that this means that he is in love with some small town girl. But who?_

Katniss POV:

It has been a little over amonth. A month of abuse, being raped, being sold and a little cutting, but the best month of my life. Cato is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He never leaves me alone, but that is the only way that I want it. He is my lux in tenebris, my light in the dark.

I love him like I thought I could never love anyone. I don't know what I would do without him. I haven't cut a lot since that night in the basement, and while my dad's abuse hasn't changed, the emotional stuff might actually be getting better.

This morning he texted me and told me to meet him in the back of the school after second period.

The bell for the end of second period just rang, and I rush out to he back of the school. Of course, Cato is already standing by his car by the time I get here. He starts smiling as soon as he sees me, and as soon as I see him I start smiling too.

"Hey," he says to me.

"Hey, so why did you want me to meet you here?" I ask him. He smiles then just says, "Get in the car."

"What?" I ask him. What is he talking about? "I said, get in the car. We're going somewhere."

"What do you mean go somewhere? We can't go anywhere, we have school," I tell him simply. Is he out of his mind?

"Yeah, but we don't have to. I knew that you had a quiz second period that you couldn't miss, so I decided that since we didn't have anything else that we couldn't miss today, and it is the PERFECT day, so we can get in the car and go to where I am going to take you. Now come on," he says.

He really is insane, but then again, so am I. So for some reason I get in the car and we abandon school and start driving.

We drive out of town and we drive past the city limits. It is a beautiful day, probably the prettiest that we have had all spring. It is the middle of March, the sky is bright blue with fluffy white clouds, everything is pretty and green, and it is hot but not too hot for Louisiana. Plus, it isn't muggy, which is great considering that all of the best days here are usually ruined because it is too muggy. But today is sort of perfect.

We drive back to that little path that leads to the clearing in the woods. We have spent many nights in the clearing since that first night that we spent in the back of Cato's truck. But never in the middle of the day, and I don't know what he is doing.

"Cato, what are we doing here?" I ask him. But he doesn't answer. Instead he takes my hand and leads me towards the edge of the clearing. We have only stayed in the clearing before.

"Okay, so I was waiting to do this with you on the most perfect day that has happened, and I knew that today is the perfect day. Now come on, I want to show you something," he says. He takes my hand and leads me into the woods.

We walk for a little while, hand in hand. It really is a pretty day.

"Okay, so when are we going to be there?" I ask him. He smiles deviously, then he says, "Right about now."

I look at where we are. We are in the middle of nowhere. There are trees everywhere, and it looks exactly the same as the rest of the woods have, so why is this place any different than the other places? There is a curtain of leaves in front of us, but that is the only thing that is even remotely different.

"Ok?" I say, a little bit confused. Then, he smiles and pulls back the leaves. It takes my breath away.

There is a waterfall that flows into a beautiful lake. There are trees around it that make it look even more perfect.

"This place… its amazing. Like, even more amazing than the clearing," I breathe.

"I know," he says. I stand there for another minute just staring in aw before he says, "Come on," and takes my hand and drags me past the leaves.

We kick off our shoes and socks and start to walk and talk along the shore of the lake. It is so pretty. We walk around the lake, and we walk up a couple of large slopes. Eventually, we get to the waterfall. At first, I think that we have to turn around and walk the other way because the waterfall is in the way, but then I realize that the waterfall flows over a ledge that we can walk on.

I look at Cato, and he smiles, and then we both run to the ledge. I have to jump a little to get on it, but it isn't hard at all. I walk across until I am standing in the middle of the ledge looking down.

The waterfall isn't that strong, but I think that makes it prettier. The water in the lake is a beautiful blue that is crazy hard to find naturally in Louisiana, much less this little town. The water is smooth except for the little ripples and the place where the water from the waterfall hits the lake. Clearly, it is safe to swim in. We aren't that far up, so it is fine. This drives me to do what I do next.

Out of the blue I push Cato off of the little cliff and he screams as he falls into the water. He falls through the waterfall, then into the lake. I am still standing on the ledge, cracking up, when he comes up to the surface and looks up at me.

"Your turn!" he calls to me. I shake my head, still laughing. He starts laughing as hard as I am, then he says, "Come on in, the water is great."

I am still laughing, and so is he, but then I back up to the very back of the little cliff. I unbraid my hair, then I run the couple of steps that it takes to get to the edge and leap off of it.

I swear that I am flying. I feel myself get doused in water as I pass through the waterfall, then I start free falling until I feel myself plunge through the surface of the water. Cato was right, the water feels amazing.

I push back up to the top, and look around to see that Cato is a few feet away from me, laughing his head off. I swim over to him he pulls me into him by my waist. Usually, I am still the quiet girl who is terrified of everything, but I am never like that with Cato. I don't have to be. I know he will never hurt me.

He pulls me into him and he kisses me hard. I have gotten used to him kissing me, and while I still have no earthly idea why, I have also gotten used to the idea of him loving me and me loving him.

I wrap my legs around is waist and he holds me up while we kiss. We are both laughing at the same time, so it doesn't work out too well, but that doesn't matter. I will never ever ever get tired of him kissing me. Ever.

He eventually lets me go and we both swim out. We get out of the water, and I open my mouth to ask him what we are doing now, but I don't say anything because he takes off his shirt.

I don't look at guys, like at all, but the sight of him shirtless makes me not be able to talk. I would never say this about a guy, but damn, he is ripped and even I have to admit that he looks pretty good shirtless.

I mean, my shirt and jacket are pretty wet too, so I use all of the courage I have and I take off my jacket and then my tee shirt. This leaves me in my soaking wet black tank top, my soaked jean shorts and the equally soaked black tights, which I have to wear to cover up the bruises on my legs, and him in just the athletic shorts that he was wearing.

I go spread my wet shirt and jacket out on sunny patch of ground so that they might dry a little. To my surprise, when I looked up, I realize that Cato is staring at me. Not just my bruises, but me. And of course when I realize this I start blushing, and when he realizes I saw him, he looks away, blushing also. The bad part was, I couldn't blame him. After all, a few minutes ago, I was standing there gaping at him shirtless for like a minute.

"Come on, I have something else to show you," he says. I silently thank him for being the one to break through the awkward. I nod and he takes my hand.

Together, we walk for a short time, and then we come to a tree. It's a huge tree with branches that hang out over the water. Then, I notice something that I hadn't seen before. I see that on one of the largest branches, there is a large rope dangling down with a knot at the end. Oh my gosh this going to be awesome!

"No way!" I say, looking at the rope, then at Cato. He smiles and nods and says, "Yeah! It is like the funnest thing ever."

We walk up the ladder that is leaning again the tree and we are standing on a wooden platform that is built in between the branches. The rope is next to it, and I am really excited.

"You first," I tell him. He laughs and grabs the rope. I lean to the side so I don't get in his way, then he backs up with the rope in hand, starts running down the platform, then jumps off and sits on the knot in the rope.

He swings down and then lets go and fall of the rope into the water. While he remains under the surface, the rope swings back to me and I grab it. Its my turn.

He comes up and gives me a thumbs up. I laugh, and then I try and copy what he did. I back up, then run and jump off of the platform, jumping onto the rope. I hold onto the rope for dear life as I feel the wind whip past me as I plummet towards the water. It blows my hair in all different directions, but I have never cared about my hair anyway.

When I skim the surface of the water, I let go and I fall into the water. I really love this.

We jump, swim, swing, and just play in the water until the sun starts going down. Then, we grab our shoes and cloths, go back to the clearing, and then Cato drives me back home. He drops me off at a distance so that my dad doesn't see him and he promises me that we will go back. I can't wait.

Cato POV:

Today was great, just like every other day I spend with Katniss. I love her so much its crazy.

There are so many of things that I will remember about today, and one of them is most definitely Katniss in a tank top. I mean, yeah I have always known that she is really hot, but her, soaking wet with her hair down in pretty small and tight tank top was hard to handle. Plus, she caught me staring at her, which I was really embarrassed about.

I drive home, and as soon as I get home, my family starts giving me the third degree about who my mysterious girlfriend is. No one knows anything about me and Katniss, but my family, best friends, and the press all know that there is some sort of girl that I am in love with. I didn't tell them anything, so I don't really know how they know, and when I asked them, they just said that they could tell. I didn't really know that it was that obvious.

"Who is she? Who is she? Who is she?!" my little sister, Rue, asks me over and over again. We adopted her when she was a baby, and while I really love her, she can get annoying.

"For the last time Rue, it is no one," I try telling her, even though I know it is no good.

"Of course it is someone!" she protests, "Otherwise you wouldn't be out late every night and you wouldn't come home smiling like an idiot every night."

I laugh a little at this. She is right, but I can't tell her, so I just don't say anything.

Later that night, my entire family is sitting at the table eating dinner, and my parents start grilling me for answers again. As usual, I give them none, and I just finish eating then head up to my room.

Katniss and I agreed early on that no one can know for a long time. There were a lot of reasons for this decision. Like how my parents would NEVER let me date her, or how Katniss has an intense fear of everyone except for me, and of course about how if her dad found out than he would literally kill her, and I couldn't take that.

I have tried to convince her to let me go to the police a thousand times, but she has me pretty much under oath not to. She says that she would be taken away and put in foster care, or how she would just have to relive everything he has done in front of a bunch of people and she doesn't think she can do that right now. So, for right now, I am doing nothing and it hurts me every second. It kills me to know the things that he does to her, and there is nothing that I can do except be there for her and help her with her injuries, both emotionally and physically.

I take a shower, then get into bed. On Friday nights I stay with Katniss all night, and those are my favorite nights, but tonight her dad is home and she is probably being beaten within an inch of her life at this very moment while I just lay here. I hate it, but I have do it. However, Katniss and I have both sworn to ourselves and each other that one day we will get her out of there and that sick man with come to justice. But for now, we are stuck.

**A pretty long chapter since it took me a little while to update. I think it was a really fun, sweet chapter, but what do you think? PLEASE REVIEW!**

**-M**


	12. Chapter 12: Mean Girls

**Chapter 12: Mean Girls**

**Helllllllo! Once again I have another chapter for all of you, and the song for it is Mean Girls by Sugarland. This entire chapter is pretty much setting the base for something big that will happen a little later in the story and it has to do with what a bitch Delly is. Anyway, hope you like it.**

**DISCLAIMER: Haven't had one of these in while, so I thought that I would just remind everyone (as if you didn't already know) that I am not Suzanne Collins and I don't own THG.**

Cato POV:

Fucking perfect.

I'm in biology and guess who is my lab partner for today? Delly. Just great.

I have been doing my best to stay away from them, but since the whole world thinks that I am friends with that entire group, it has been really hard. Every time they call Katniss retarded or worthless it takes everything in not to punch them. I have told them to stop, but they didn't listen.

And now we are partners and I have to deal with her. Here is the thing about that group: A couple of them aren't that bad. Thresh is pretty nice and Madge and Finnick are too, but it is Delly that is just horrible. Plus, she thinks that we are together, which we are NOT. That is why she is always trying to make out with me or hold my hand or do other stuff with her that couples would do. Of course, I don't do it because WE ARE NOT A COUPLE! But she doesn't seem to get that through her head.

"EEEEEE!" she squeals as soon as she sees that we are partners. Sometimes I really hate the science teacher. "We are partners honey! Omg this is great."

"Yeah," I say sarcastically, and I walk off. But she doesn't here the sarcasm in my voice, so she giggles then sits down next to me. I look across the room, and I see that Katniss is with Finnick. When she see who I'm stuck with, I can tell she is doing her best not to laugh.

I mouth, "You think this is funny?" to her, and she laughs and nods yes. I then roll my eyes at her dramatically then look back down at my work. It is then that I notice that Delly was watching the whole thing. That wipes the smile off my face.

"What were you doing looking at the little freak show?" she asks me. I clench my knuckles and restrain from slugging her.

"I am allowed to look at and talk to whoever I want," I tell her, and try to focus on the work so I can get this over with as soon as possible.

"Yeah, but I don't know why you would want to look at her, she's disgusting. Besides, it isn't that often that we are partners, so lets make the most of it shall we?" she says as she grins. I am about to ask her what means, when she pulls me in by the collar of my shirt and kisses me.

Like, full on make out kissing and it is horrible. I don't kiss back or even close my eyes. My eyes go wide and shock and I flail around trying to get her off of me. When I feel her tongue start to press on my lips, I stop trying to be a little nice and I just shove her off of me.

I start wiping her disgusting spit off of my mouth and I am coughing and sputtering. The teacher is just rolling her eyes and the class is practically rolling on the floor laughing. I quickly look over at Katniss, and I expect to see her fuming. However, she looks sort of amused.

Delly is sitting in her chair next to me, attempting to look sexy by pulling her already low-cut top even lower and playing with her hair. Thank God the bell rings because the second that I hear it, I grab my books and run like hell.

I hear Delly running behind me, the sound of her hooker heels tapping on the ground. She is saying, "Wait!" in a high, annoying voice that she must think makes her sound attractive.

I finally make it to my locker, and I think I have lost her. I dump my stuff in and silently swear in my head.

Just then, the whole crew comes up to me, including Delly.

"Hey man," Finnick says, giving me a look that says how funny he found Delly's antics in bio to be. "Hey," I grumble back, as I walk with them, trying to stay as far away from Delly as I can.

We start walking to PE, and on our way there, I see Katniss kneeling on the ground trying to pick something up. We are turning the corner away from her and she is on the other side, so I think that they will just walk right past and ignore her. But of course that doesn't happen.

Delly makes a specific point about running up to her and kicking her down so that she is on the ground. I almost lunge to kill her, but then I think that I would probably make things worse. I see Katniss on the ground, clenching her teeth so that she doesn't cry out in pain. It kills me to see her like this. I see Delly hiss something at her that I can't hear, and then she turns on her hells and walks back to us.

I see the others role their eyes at her antics, and I just glare at her. Damn I hate that girl.

Katniss POV:

I wake up on something hard and cold and I know that Seanaca must have finished with me. My dad added Mr. Seanaca Crane to his repertoire of people that pay him to sleep with me. He rapes me a lot because he is a pretty well of businessman, so he has a ton of money.

I immediately go upstairs and shower all of the shit that I always feel like I am covered in after I am raped.

Its Thursday and that means I probably won't see my dad until Sunday, and he isn't here now, so after my bath I get dresses then hop on my skateboard and go to Cato's.

I ride up the driveway then walk over to the wall that has Cato's bedroom window on it. I use the brick holds that Cato taught me how to use and I climb up to his window. I see him sitting on his bed reading something, so I knock three times then do the special whistle that we use to tell each other that we are here.

He immediately jumps up and comes over to the window. He opens it then he pulls me inside. I like being inside his room. It always feels warm and safe, but I guess that is just because it is his room.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," I mutter back. He doesn't talk to me anymore, because I guess he can tell what just happened and how pissed I currently am. So he just does what he always does when I come into his room: He pulls me onto the bed and into his arms and holds me as we both fall asleep. Which doesn't exactly take long.

**Just a short filler chapter, but something sort of huge happens in the next chapter, just saying. Oh, and the little whistle I mentioned is the one from the books and movies just FYI. Okay, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Kisses!**

**-M**


	13. Chapter 13: All of Me

**Chapter 13: All of Me**

**So, for those of you who don't know, 13 is my lucky number, and since this is the thirteenth chapter, I am making something really special happen and there is a really special song too. First of all, the song one of my personal favorites, it is All of Me by John Legend. It is such a sweet song. Now, for the part about what this chapter holds, let's just say, I am 13 and a virgin, so no will not be going into details, but I just think that since they are so in love and so connected that this just had to happen. Sorry if you wanted details, and your welcome if you didn't. Anway, pleasssssssssse review!**

Katniss POV:

There is something more to this.

Cato and I are making out on the floor of his room like we have done a thousand times, but this just feels different. Not like a bad different, but just different. There is something there that hasn't been there before. Well, I guess it has sort of always been there, but never this much. I don't know, I can't really put it into words.

He holds my hips, and while he is still kissing me, I lay back and he is now on top of me. His lips move perfectly against mine. They are warm but not burning, they are passionate but not pressuring. It feels so good, I will never get enough of him.

I feel his tongue press against my mouth, asking to enter. Even if I wanted to, there is nothing I could do but let him in. I don't know what is happening to me, I just feel like I can't control myself. I can't stop what I am doing, and while it scares me, I don't want it any other way.

Something is different.

Our tongues twirl together perfectly. In this kiss is all of the love I feel towards him. My hands are twisted in his short cropped blonde hair, and his hands grip my waist tightly, but not enough to hurt me. Cato would never hurt me; that I am positive of.

I don't know what I am thinking, but I sit up, not disconnecting my lips from his. He is now sitting with his legs crossed, and something takes over me and I do something sort of insane; I climb into his lap and wrap my legs around his waist while I continue to kiss him. I can sort of tell that he was surprised by him, but his lips kissing mine don't falter, not even for a split second.

He keeps kissing me, until he just stops. I don't know what he is doing, because it seemed like things were going fine. He just pulls away from my lips and gently pushes me off his lap. I am confused.

"Is everything okay?" I ask him.

He laughs a little, then says, "No, no, everything's fine. I just needed a little break, that's all."

I am still confused, so I ask, "Did something happen? Did I do something wrong?"

He laughs at this too, then he says, "No! You were perfect. A little too perfect, I just had to stop or I might not have been able to stop. So yeah….." He blushes a little as he mutter the last part. Oh… Oh!

I get it now! It all makes sense! That feeling that I was having before, I know what it is now, but that doesn't make it any less scary. That feeling was lust.

I never knew that you could actually want to have sex with somebody. I have always thought of sex as the worst thing in the world, since it has never been my choice and it has always hurt me and made me feel like shit. But I actually want that with Cato. I thought that I would never actually have it with someone that I loved. Hell, I never thought I would have someone that I love. But now I do, and I want it. I really want it.

So I crawl over to where is sitting and go back to the position I was in before. "Don't stop," I whisper to him.

Cato POV:

What?

Did she seriously just say what I think she said?

No, no that can't be possible. I knew that from the second that I learned about her past and started loving her that we would either never do it or we wouldn't do it for a really long time. I just thought that I would learn to except that, but now…. Is she really saying what I think she is?

I don't know, so I just sit there spluttering like an idiot. "W-what?"

She locks eyes with me and repeats what she said before. "Don't. Stop."

The way she is sitting on my and how she says that just causes something in me to snap. I lean forward and kiss her as I lean her down on the ground. We kiss frantically, both of us having no idea what we are doing. I mean, I have been with a bunch of girls before, but none that I have ever cared about. And I know she has had it a lot, but it was never her choice and she was terrified of it. Does she really trust me enough to do it with her?

That's when I start thinking clearly again. I stop kissing her, then sit up from her slightly and say, "Wait, we can't."

"Why not?" she asks. I don't really know how to answer that.

"Just because of everything. I know you don't really want to, and I don't want to force you into it at all. You don't have to do that for me to be with you, its okay," I try telling her. But then I look into her eyes. The look in her eyes tells me everything that I wasn't sure of before. She has this look that can't be explained, but I would know it anywhere. I know it because it is exactly how I am feeling. I can tell that she wants this like I do.

"Please," she whispers, and that is all it takes. In an instant I am back to kissing her feverishly, and this time I know that we aren't going to stop.

Katniss POV:

I have no idea what I am doing. Of course I have had sex before. Actually, I have had it a lot of times, but none that we real or my choice. During all of my times that I have done it, the male has been hurting me while I was laying there bloody, bruised and broken trying not to cry and/or scream my head off.

So yeah, I have no clue what to do. But apparently, my mind has a mind of its own and it seems like I know exactly what I am doing when I really don't have a clue.

I bunch up his shirt in my hands as he starts to kiss my neck. He leaves a trail of burning kisses, and I want more. In the end, I sort of end up ripping his shirt off, and I can tell that he is trying not to do the same to mine.

He pulls back and whispers to me, "Are you sure?"

I nod quickly, and there is nothing else said. Instead of talking we go back to kissing. I feel his hands at the hem of my shirt. I can tell that they are nervous and shaking, sort of like what my entire body is doing both inside and out. His hands move up hesitantly, bringing my shirt with them. I feel my shirt being ripped off of me and Cato kissing me practically into oblivion all night long.

It was nothing like I expected it to be. Nothing at all. Not even close.

Instead of how I expected it to be, it was amazing.

I had thought that it was just going to be scary, but it wasn't. It felt SO good, and I have never felt anything like it in my life. It wasn't even sex, it was making love.

Cato was gentle and perfect, and I have never loved him more.

It wasn't like in the books or movies at all. There, it is perfectly timed and seemingly flawless. We were sort of like we are in most parts of our life: We were kind of a mess.

But that was okay, because that just made it even better than it already was. It was better because it was real, because we were real. Because all of the times I have been raped were not real, and all of the girls that Cato has just hooked up with were not real. In that moment, the only thing that seemed real was us. And it was freaking awesome.

**What. Did. You. Think?! U HAVE TO LET ME KNOW!**

**Love you guys!**

**-M**


	14. Chapter 14: Secrets

**Chapter 14: Secrets**

**Sorry it took me a little while to update. I had a lax game that went until seven and then I had homework so I didn't really have time. This next chapter is a sort of short filler chapter, so I'm sorry if it isn't great. Song is Secrets by One Republic for lack of a better one.**

Katniss POV:

"Well we have to figure out something," I say to Cato.

For the past hour we have been in the back of Cato's truck in the meadow. He is sitting up and stoking my hair lightly while I lie down and rest my head on his lap looking up at him. We are trying to figure out what in the hell to do.

"People are getting suspicious, your parents are pissed off that you won't tell them anything, and quite frankly I am on the verge of a complete mental breakdown which is bound to happen eventually. Oh, and I can barely walk, so if people do find out about us then they will ask questions about me and then everything will come out and… well I just can't even let myself think of that," I tell him.

"I still don't understand why we can't just tell social services or someone about everything that your dad does to you. Then you will be safe and I will sleep better at night and you can start getting better," he says simply.

"Because," I explain, "Then he will kill me. I mean, literally kill me. Or worse, I will be put in the same situation or they won't believe us."

"But-" He starts, but I cut him of. "No buts. We can't let anyone know yet, alright? Please."

He looks at me, then he nods slowly and says, "Fine. We can deal with the press and my friends and family when we feel like we can handle it. Is that okay?"

I laugh lightly and nod. "Good," he says as he leans down and kisses me.

Cato POV:

I'm worried about her. She keeps saying that she is fine, and when we are together, then yeah, I guess she is fine. But every time she smiles, I forget everything she goes through when we aren't together or when she isn't smiling. I just want her to be safe. Knowing that she is being tortured at home kills me. I want to do something, but she won't let me.

However, the fact that we are sleeping together means that she is at least getting a little better. But that's the problem, the only person she trusts is me. She doesn't trust people and I don't blame her for that at all. Its okay if she doesn't trust people.

Actually, I think she was right about how we can't tell people about us yet. She is still covered in bruises and scrapes and stuff and she will get more, and everything about my life will terrify her. We can't tell them yet, but keeping it a secret is going to be hard.

We head back to my house. Right now it is early April, and this entire town is hot and muggy and everything is green. Like, greener than freaking Ireland green. It is sort of pretty I guess.

We head up to my room to wash off. We are covered in mud.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR_

_Cato revs the engine of his car and we drive straight into the giant mud pit. We drive through quickly and the mud splashes up in big brown waves around the truck. We both scream as we come out on the other side._

_Of course, we are laughing like crazy at this point._

_He shoves me out of my door and we both fall into the mud. I am trying not to breathe the mud in while I am laughing, but it is hard because we are sort of wrestling in it._

_By the time we decide to go get cleaned up, we are disgusting and covered in mud from head to toe._

_And that is why we are covered in mud._

We both get into Cato's shower, with our muddy clothes still on. We figured that we would clean our clothes off and then if we had some extra time to kill then….. Oh what the heck?

**Sorry it was short and crappy, but I will update again really soon and this is where things start to get interesting. Anyway, please review and just keep waiting until the next chapter which will almost definitely be up tomorrow.**

**AGAIN IM SO SORRY!**

**-M**


	15. Chapter 15: Never Again

**Chapter 15: Never Again**

**Hey guys! So the song is Never Again by Nickleback. If you want to know why I chose it, just listen to it or look up the lyrics and it will be pretty obvious. Hope you enjoy!**

Cato POV:

"Surprise!"

It is 6 in the morning and Katniss and I were up until she left about three hours ago. It is so bright outside that I can't even really tell who is yelling, "Surprise!" to me at this time in the morning.

That is until one of them barrels into me in a way so familiar, I know in an instant it's Marvel. No. Way.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask my two best friends as we all tackle each other. We finish greeting each other and then I finally just demand that they explain what they are doing here.

"Okay," Peeta starts, "So, the press already thinks that you have been completely grounded by now, and we have an album to finish and then release, so Haymitch said you could come back early."

They both seem so happy, but then I remember about Katniss, and I almost yell at them. But I don't, which I guess is good. Instead, I just splutter out, "What?"

Peeta finishes quickly. "Well, not right away of course. Since we are here, the label thought that we should get as much publicity out of it as possible. It has already been arranged. We are going to go to school with you for this week, and then in like two weeks, Haymitch has arranged for everyone at your school to come to this huge party that we are going to have for the release of the album. He thinks that it will be a good way to show people that you have made friends and that you really are just a 'normal guy' or whatever."

"And," Marvel says, "You can show the whole world who that mysterious girl that you are so desperately in love with is."

Oh shit here we go.

Katniss, at a party, with a bunch of guys and people surrounding her, and most likely alcohol and people with cameras. Not a goof mix.

"Which by the way, you still haven't told us anything about her yet….." Marvel says.

"For the last time, there is no special girl!" I say, but I don't even believe the lie. Its pretty pointless to lie to them, they just know me too well.

"That's okay, you don't want to tell us. We will just find out when we go to school with you tomorrow," Marvel says with a smirk. That wipes the smirk off of my face.

"What?"

"You heard me. We are going to school with you for the whole week," Marvel says smugly. Now I really am screwed.

Katniss POV:

I have been waiting all day for Cato to call me, but he hasn't. He finally does around noon, and I pick up right away.

"Hey what took you so long?" I ask frantically.

"Sorry, I had a little surprise this morning," he replies back in an annoyed voice.

"What kind of a surprise?" I ask cautiously.

"Well, the rest of the band is here and they are staying with me for a while. Plus, they are going to school with me," he sounds really sad as he says this.

"That doesn't sound that bad. Why do you seem really sad?" I ask.

There is no reply for a minute, but then I hear him breathe and say, "Because they are taking me back with them. Apparently, I am now seen as a humble enough person so I can get out of here."

I take a moment to process this. "Oh."

"But don't worry. There is no way in hell that I am leaving you. I swear, alright?" he says quickly. "Yeah, yeah its just you need to go with them. You need to have your life. You can't stay here in this town that I know you are miserable in for me," I tell him.

"But I'm not miserable here," he says. I know he is just doing this so I don't feel bad. "And you should come with me. Please. We can end this right now, all you have to do is skate over to my house right now. Please."

I seriously consider this, but then I hear the front door click open and men's voices talking. So in a hushed whisper I tell Cato, "I can't. My dad and Seaneca just got here. I have to go. I love you so much."

"Stay safe baby. I love you too," he tells me, then I hang up the phone.

I stash my phone under the bookcase and then my dad and Seaneca burst into my room. My dad grabs me by the top of my shirt, cutting off my air supply.

I wheeze for air as I feel my dad kick me over and over again. By the time the kicking stops, my clothes are torn and my head is bleeding along with a bunch of other places. I don't even attempt to say something. I just let Seaneca take me away down into the basement and do what he does to me.

There is no use fighting back, and I wish more than anything that I could just end this like Cato said. But I can't.

Cato POV:

I haven't spent a lot of time with my best friends in a long time, so we stayed up all night doing a bunch of pretty stupid things, mostly involving posting a bunch of strange videos on vine.

So we are all exhausted on the drive to school. We all get out of the car and we are immediately bombarded by students. Peeta and Marvel have so much more patience with them than I do, and they just shake hands and joke around with everyone.

Right then, all of the guys in the group that I have been hanging with over the past few months come up. They all introduce themselves, and it seems like they all get along pretty well. Delly is flirting with me, and that's annoying. Her flirting earns me a suspicious look from the rest of the band members. Great, now they think I am going out with her.

The first day goes by pretty fast, but f course my friends are so confused in class that they don't even try. We go back to my place after school so we can practice a little. I was able to sneak away from them for about a total of fifteen minutes today. And during that fifteen minutes Katniss and I just made out in the back of the school. I miss her, but we will figure something out.

That night, I wait for Peeta and Marvel to fall asleep. Once I am sure that they are completely out (which is at about 12:30 in the morning) I sneak out and I drive to Katniss's house. I climb up the wall and through her bedroom window.

My poor baby is laying there in just her underwear. There is not an inch of her body, except for her face, that isn't covered in bruises. She is just lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling with tears falling down her cheeks.

"Hey baby," I say as I take her bleeding body into my arms. I have learned to get somewhat used to the scars and bruises, but they still shock me every time I see them. How could someone be that cruel to their own child? I

I still haven't met her dad, which is obvious considering he is still alive.

I fix her up as best I can. On most nights, I bring her some food and some medical supplies over and climb up to her window quietly.

"Thanks," she says after she stops bleeding and puts on a tee shirt.

"No problem. I like doing it for you," I tell her, and I do. It is one of the few things that she will allow me to do for her. "I have to go now. I'm sorry, but you need to get to bed too."

She nods, then we kiss for a minute. "I love you," she whispers to me as I prepare to climb out of the window. "I love you more," I reply, and she smiles. I kiss her one more time and then I jump down onto the soft grass that is under her window. I then walk down her driveway, get into my car and drive home. I always miss her the second that I go away from her. To me, her lips are like a drug that I need to survive. It still amazes me just how much I love her.

I think about her as I fall asleep tonight, just like I do every other night.

**Please review! The next chapter is BIG! So be psyched for that!**

**-M**


	16. Chapter 16: Human

**Chapter 16: Human**

**BIG CHAPTER! Are you excited?! I hope so because this a good chapter so YAY! So, one of my favorite songs for this chapter. It is Human by Christina Perri, and funny story, but this song sort of sums me up completely. It will make this chapter even better if you listen to the song while you read this chapter. PLEASE REVIEW Y'ALL!**

Cato POV:

It is Friday: the last day that I have to struggle with Peeta and Marvel being at school with me.

This week has actually gone pretty well. The guys know nothing, and nothing that bad has happened. It is lunch now, and I only have half a day to go until I can breathe a little easier knowing that nothing that chaotic happened at school.

But I am a little worried since lunch started like 8 minutes ago and I still haven't seen Katniss in the cafeteria. I saw her this morning, so I know she is here, but I don't know where she is. Delly, Madge, Thresh, Finnick, Marvel, Peeta and I get our food, then we go sit down at our usual table. The others all talk and laugh while they eat, and I pretend to pay attention, but all I can think about is how worried I am about Katniss. I know she is probably just a little late, but I get worried over her really easily.

Just then, she walks into the cafeteria and a flood of relief washes over me. She looks like she usually does, so there isn't really anything out of the ordinary. That is until I tune back in on the people at my table's conversation.

"Oh, guys look over there," Delly says, pointing in Katniss's direction. They all look. Oh no.

"You see that girl with the braid? The one wearing a ton of makeup?" She asks them, and they all nod. This is going nowhere fast.

"Watch this," Delly says as she gets up from the table giggling and walks over to Katniss. I can't move.

She walks over to Katniss, and I am so scared that all I can do is be frozen and stare at the scene unfolding in front of me.

"Hey you little skank," Delly says to Katniss. Kat doesn't reply, she just looks at the floor in front of her and tries to keep walking.

"So, my dad knows this guy at work that I think you might know," Delly says smugly, "His name is Seneca Crane."

Just like that, all the color drains from Kat's face and she looks like she is about to pass out. She starts shaking. All of the guys at my table are talking and whispering and watching intently, as is the rest of the cafeteria. Seneca Crane? Isn't that one of the man that pays Kat's dad to rape her? Oh please no.

"Well, I know everything," Delly hisses loudly, and all of the sudden the cafeteria is so quiet you can here a pin drop.

"Listen up everyone!" Delly says laughing, "This little slut sleeps with one of the guys that my dad works with! Yeah, this guy is like 37 and they are sleeping together. She also sleeps with these two other men that work with my dad! It is true, I swear it!"

I think I am going to throw up, but that is nothing compared to how Katniss looks. She is paler than I have ever seen her before and shaking violently.

I hear whispers from all around. They are saying things like "What a whore!" and "Dirty little skank" and a bunch of other things. The thing that hurts the most, is my two best friends in the world are saying it too, along with things like "So this is what public school is like."

I can't move, like at all. I am frozen on the spot, just watching everything. I want to kill something, preferably Delly. I want to help Katniss and I want everyone to stop whispering, but I can't even move a muscle.

"She isn't even denying it!" Delly laughs gleefully. That girl makes me sick. Then she punches Katniss and she falls on the ground, convulsing.

"What? Can't even take a punch bitch? How about a kick!" she says as she kicks her hard. Seeing this sets me sort of into action, and I move forward trying to make my way to Katniss and help her. It feels like I am walking through cement, and I can barely move. My band mates stop me by saying, "You don't want to get mixed up in that man," and they hold me back. I am too scared for her and I don't have the strength to break free of their grip.

"Go die whore," I hear Delly whisper to Katniss on the ground, then she walks away back to us. I want to strangle her, but I don't because the guys have a firm grip on me and I am fucking terrified.

Katniss lays on the cafeteria floor shaking, and I don't know what to do. But then, she pushes herself up slowly until she is standing. The second she stands, she sprints for the exit. The crowd parts like the red sea for her, and in an instant she is gone and everyone is laughing except for Thresh, Finnick, Madge, Peeta, Marvel, and especially myself.

That is when the reality of the situation hits me like a ton f bricks and I know what is going to happen. It. Cannot. Happen. The thought of that happening is so horrible that I just can't even think of it.

I mumble some excuse about having to go to the bathroom, and all of the sudden my legs start to work again and I am moving faster than I have ever moved before. And I know exactly where I am going… Katniss's house.

Katniss POV:

Everything is a shaking, tear-stained blur. All I know is that there is no way in hell that I can do this anymore, and by this, I mean life. This is it.

As I sprint home, I think of all of the things that have stopped me from doing this sooner. I think of my mom. Now that I think about it, maybe she will proud of me for ending it and getting out of the situation. After all, I will be with her and my brother again, since he is probably dead by now.

I see my house in the distance and I run faster. It doesn't matter how much the running hurts, I will soon never feel pain again.

My dad isn't there, so I just run in the house. Everything he has done to me flashes through my mind. I see all of the horrors that I have been through, and I cannot wait to die.

Now everyone knows, and that is one of the worst things I can imagine. Yes, they don't know the whole story, but that doesn't matter.

I rush up the stairs to my bedroom and grab my box, then I run to the bathroom and close the door behind me. I pull out the blade and place the cool metal against my skin. The last thing I think about is Cato. He will be the only person I miss. And he will be sad at first, but then he will move on and find someone better and probably forget about me. But I will always love him.

_I love you Cato._

I dig the blade into the skin of my forearm deeper than I ever have before. The pain and blood are beautiful, and I prepare to drag the blade up my entire arm so deep that it will all be over in a matter of minutes.

At that very second, the door blasts open and standing in the doorway is a panting, frantic Cato.

"Don't do it!" he says. His voice is strained, and his face is twisted.

"Don't you dare do it," he says as I drop the blade and fall into his arms. Then we both start crying hysterically.

**So sad, I know, but that was the peak of her sadness and it is all up here for her from there. Don't worry, things will get better. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me what you think because I really need to know how I did on this chapter.**

**Love you all so much!**

**-M**


	17. Chapter 17: Goodbye Lullaby

**Chapter 17: Goodbye Lullaby**

**Hey guys! Just wanted to say that I got probably the best review I have ever gotten on any chapter of any story that I have ever posted from Julie-Anna12. You saying that means SO much! Anyway, the song is Goodbye Lullaby by Avril Lavigne. It is such a good song and you really should listen to it. REVIEWS ARE THE BESTEST!**

Cato POV:

We fell asleep like that.

We both just sunk down on the bathroom floor and held each other all night while we cried. Seriously, I was crying in a way that I haven't cried since I was like 6.

When we woke up, we both still had dry tears on our faces from last night. I had blood all over my white shirt, but I really didn't care. She was barely even awake, so I kissed her and told her that I was going to go home and change and that I would come back this afternoon.

I left her house and drove back to mine. The entire way back, all I could think was that she was so close. What if I hadn't come in when I did? She might have been….. God, I can't even think that.

I am exhausted too, so I walk into my house and I am sort of pissed of. Okay, really pissed off.

"Hey man, where the hell where you, WOAH! Dude, why are you covered in blood? What has this town turned you into?" Marvel cries when he sees me. But I have to get back to Katniss, and I don't have time to deal with bullshit.

"Nothing, now shut up," I snap at him.

"Okay, well, you need to tell us what happened. I mean, you say you have to go to the bathroom, and then you disappear for the rest of the day and night. Plus, you come back here in the morning and you are covered in dry blood and you seem really upset," Peeta says.

I slip on a new shirt, and then spit, "I don't have time for this," at them before walking out of the door, down the stairs, and getting back in my car to head back to Kat's house.

Katniss POV:

I woke up a couple minutes after Cato left, and I had an epiphany, and not the good kind. That is why I am crying right now. Because I know what I have to do, no matter how badly it hurts.

I can't do this to him. He needs a life, a life that he will never get with me.

I have thought about this a lot, and so when I hear Cato pull into the driveway, I pull on some shorts and walk to meet him outside.

"Hey, I was just going to meet you inside, you didn't have to come out here," he says when he sees me, but I quickly reply, "We have to talk."

He looks at my stern expression, then he nods. I take a deep breath and I do this because I know that it needs to be done.

"We can't do this."

He looks surprised. "Do what? What do you mean? Listen Kat, if this is about last night then-" no, him talking will make this harder, so I cut him off.

"Last night made me realize something, and now I am saying, we're done," I say simply.

He looks confused, and asks me, "What?"

"You heard me," I mumble, looking down at the ground. I can't look at his face, it would kill me.

"Kat, I know what this is about, and-" I cut him off as he reaches for me. "No. Cato, last night just proved what I have been thinking all along; that I will never be right or good enough for you! And you need to just stop, please. I am done, we are done, and that's the way it has to be. You will get over it."

"Katniss!" he tries to talk to me, but I back away so I am standing in the doorway.

"You need to leave," I tell him, still looking down. I can tell that he is speechless as he walks back to his car slowly. Before he leaves, I look up and look in his eyes one last time. Now his eyes really kill me. They are the same stone cold ice blue that they were on the day that I first met him. They had turned soft in the time that we had been together, but now, they are harder than before.

He backs out of the driveway and drives off while I just stand in the doorway with tears streaming down my face. I just sink down in the doorframe and cry. I sit there crying even after it starts to rain.

Cat POV:

I can't believe this.

I mean, I know what she is thinking, but I still can't believe this. She is only doing this because she is back to thinking that she isn't good enough for me and that has made her breakup with me.

I have to fix this. I have to do something.

I storm into my house and immediately plow through everyone, go up to my room, and lock the door. I am alone, and I grab my guitar. The rest is all a blur, but by the time I open the door, I know what I am going to do.

Please, please work.

I can't live without her. I just can't.

Katniss POV:

It has been a week and I haven't even glanced at Cato. I couldn't look at him if I tried.

He has ben surrounded the other two guys in his band at every waking moment. They came to school with him again this week, and from what I can tell, he is fine. He has completely moved on, and that's what I wanted, except for who he moved on with.

He is with Delly now.

When I found this out, I was torn apart. I cry myself to sleep, when I can actually go to sleep. The beatings are getting worse; much worse. Just breathing hurts really badly. The bruises are worse, the cuts are deeper, and I am in so much pain.

I won't cut again, because I know that if I do, I won't be able to stop and I will kill myself. Plus, I don't want to do it because despite him moving on, I feel like I still have a piece of him with me, and it is the only fragment of sanity I have left.

All anyone has been talking about (besides Cato and Delly) is this huge party that Mockingjay is having for the release of their album. It is supposedly going to be insane and there will be press there and it is a HUGE It is on Saturday of this week in the nearby city of New Orleans, and everyone is going. Everyone except for me.

I'm not going. No way am I going.

**Sooooooooooooooooo… What did you think?! I really want to know. I should be able to update again today, so keep an eye out for that.**

**Happy almost Easter if you celebrate it.**

**-M**


	18. Chapter 18: They Don't Know About Us

**Chapter 18: They Don't Know About Us**

**Probably the biggest chapter of the whole story, not to mention my favorite. You have to have to have to listen to the song during the time that he is singing! It is They Don't Know About Us by One Direction. Please review.**

Katniss POV:

Unbelievable.

I have absolutely no idea why the hell I am, but I am currently pushing through all of these men with cameras (who barely even notice me) to go join the rest of my school at the top of the steps of whatever the name of this place is. Everyone here is wearing like suits and mini dresses, but I'm wearing converse, jeans, a black tee shirt, and a grey hoodie with a denim vest over it.

When I get there, I stand right in the middle, so I am noticed the least amount possible. We wait there for a long time, and eventually, we see chaos erupt where the paparazzi are standing and long, black limo pull up.

When the band gets out, lights flash and all of the students go crazy. Thankfully, the guys aren't dressed up. The one with the blond hair, I think his name is Peeta, is wearing kaki pants and a white collared shirt. The guy with the light brown hair, Marvel I think, is wearing a maroon and black hoodie with some black tee shirt underneath and jeans. Cato is wearing a black leather jacket with a grey hoodie and a white tee shirt underneath that with jeans.

They all get out with a beautiful girl on their arm. Peeta has a small, skinny girl with dark brown hair and a pretty face with freckles. She is wearing a black mini skirt with a nice red blouse and red heels. Marvel is with a super model looking girl with wavy blond hair. She is wearing a pale pink dress with silver heels, and she looks amazing. Cato is with Delly, and while he is smiling, he looks like he wants to throttle her a little bit.

She made her hair really big and she is wearing a ton of makeup. She has on a gold, sequined hooker dress that can hardly count for anything bigger than a shirt. She looks ridiculous, but from what I hear the news reporters saying, they all love her.

They think that she is Cato's mystery girl, and now she is because I am not. But they seriously have no idea. The six walk up the stairs and into the crowd of students. They open the doors and everyone floods inside. Needless to say, I am jostled a lot.

I catch Cato's eye for a split second, and he gives me a look. I know Cato too well, and that look was saying something, but I can't figure out what.

Cato POV:

She actually came. She is actually here. This might actually work after all.

Delly is making me want to kill something. If it is possible, I actually hate her more now. But I needed a date for this thing, and apparently our parents are friends, so they made me be with her. It sucks.

We go around talking to everyone, but I am not paying the least bit of attention. All I can think about it Kat and my plan. She isn't dressed like she wants to be a prostitute like most of the girls hear are, but her hair is down from her usual braid and she looks amazing. She is without a doubt the prettiest girl here.

We get on stage and we play a lot of the songs from the album. The album is really great, and I actually catch Kat's eye during What Makes You Beautiful. That is the only song I let them play that is about her, the other would hurt too much.

She is standing in against a wall in the back. She isn't dancing, and it looks like she isn't paying attention at all.

It took a while for me to get the guys to go along with this without having to answer any questions, but eventually they did. When it comes time for the plan to be put into action, I just hope it doesn't back fire.

This is it: The last song of the night. Its time.

We were supposed to sing one of our fun songs about something stupid like partying for the last song, but I made them change it up. This is the plan. Dammit it better work!

Katniss POV:

I have been listening to them play all night, and of course, they are amazing.

Cato looked at me for a second during What Makes You Beautiful. That song almost made me cry because of everything that is behind it. Well, was behind it. There is no more us, so I guess I have to use the past tense.

It is getting late when Cato finally says, "Ok guys. Well, first of all, I would like to thank all of you for coming out tonight, and for giving me such a great semester. When I first got here, I thought I was going to hate it. But I didn't. I met a bunch of really cool people and had a lot of fun. This is our last song of the night, but you guys are all great and I hope you enjoy it. This is without a doubt my favorite song that I have ever written. It isn't on the album, but I think you might want to hear it."

The crowd erupts into applause as Peeta moves from playing guitar to playing the piano and the song starts. My heart literally stops when I hear the first line.

_Cato **Marvel and Peeta**_

_People say we shouldn't be together,_

_Too young to know about forever._

_But I say, they don't what they're talk-talk-talkin' about_

_Cause this love is only getting stronger_

_So I don't want to wait any longer_

_I just wanna tell the world that you're mine girl_

_Oh_

Oh. My. God. He cannot be doing this. Not in front of all these people and reporters and the entire world. I feel the tears well up in my eyes, and they start to pour out as he sings the chorus.

_They don't know about the things we do_

_They don't about the I love you's_

_But I bet you if they only knew_

_They would just be jealous of us._

_They don't know about the up all nights_

_They don't know I've waited all my life_

_Just to find a love that feels this right_

_Baby they don't about, they don't know about us._

Delly POV:

"Oh my gosh! He is singing to me!" I squeal at the other girls. They're names are Clove and Glimmer, and they are the other two guys' girlfriends. They look amused at this, and then Clove whispers something to Glimmer that I can't hear, but I don't care. I knew he loved me, and now he is telling the whole world. EEEEEEEEEEEK!

Katniss POV:

I am full on sobbing the way that I never do in public. There is not turning back now. All I want is him, and now everyone will know. But I think that I just might actually be ready for that. As long as I am with Cato, I don't care.

_One touch, and I was a believer_

_Every kiss gets a little sweeter_

_Its getting better_

_Keeps getting better all the time, girl_

_They don't know about the things we do_

_They don't know about the I love yous_

_But I bet you if they only knew_

_They would just be jealous of us._

_They don't know about the up all nights_

_They don't know I've waited all my life_

_Just to find a love that feels this right_

_Baby they don't know about, they don't know about us._

**_They don't know how special you are_**

**_They don't know what you've done to my heart_**

**_They can say anything they want_**

**_'Cause they don't know us_**

_They don't know what we do best_

_It's between me and you, our little secret_

_But I wanna tell 'em_

_I wanna tell the world that you're mine, girl!_

I have my hand over my mouth in shock. This is the most amazing thing ever, I can't even put it into words.

I am crying, and the rest of the room is completely silent, all just looking at Cato in awe. I love him so much it hurts.

_They don't know about the things we do_

_They don't know about the I love yous_

_But I'll bet you if they only knew_

_They would just be jealous of us_

_They don't know about the up all nights_

_They don't know I've waited all my life_

_Just to find a love that feels this right_

_Baby they don't know about, they don't know about us_

_They don't know about the things we do_

_They don't know about the I love yous_

_But I'll bet you if they only knew_

_They would just be jealous of us_

_They don't know about the up all nights_

_They don't know I've waited all my life_

_Just to find a love that feels this right_

_Baby they don't know about, they don't know about us_

_They don't know about us_

_They don't know about us_

I don't hesitate for a moment. The second the song ends, Cato hops off the stage and everyone parts from where he is standing. No turning back now.

I run from my corner and jump right into his arms. The room is dead silent.

I bury my face in his shoulder and cry. "I didn't mean any of it," I whisper.

"I know," he whispers back.

"I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too," he whispers back, and he holds me tighter. I don't even care how much it hurts, all I care about is him.

I break away just far enough for him to put his lips on mine. God I have missed kissing him so much. His lips make all of my nervousness go away. I hear the crowd erupt into applause. Really loud applause actually. We break away from the kiss, but he is still holding me and we have our foreheads pressed together. Damn I love him.

We get out of there right after that. All of the reporters are sitting on the steps outside, waiting for something to happen.

I think they the reporters knew something big was going on in there, because the second we open the doors, they spring up and start taking pictures of us. It is really freaking me out.

I know Cato can sense this, because he immediately takes my hand and tells me, "Put your hood on, keep your head down, and keep walking."

I do this, and somehow we make it through the see of people to an abandoned parking lot.

"I parked my car here so I didn't have to ride in the limo with Delly on the way back," he says as we get in the car. I still can't believe that now, the whole world knows about us.

"Good thinking," I say back, and we both laugh.

We drive and drive until we turn on the path and drive into the clearing. He parks the car, and we don't waste a second. He pushes me down on the seat, kissing my lips feverishly. The crickets chirp, the river runs, and he makes love to me all night long.

**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH U HAVE TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! HOW WAS IT!?**

**-M**


	19. Chapter 19: Scene Two- Roger Rabbit

**Chapter 19: Scene Two- Roger Rabbit**

**So, after that huge chapter here is another pretty important chapter, and the song is Scene Two- Roger Rabbit by Sleeping with Sirens and I love love love them. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the reason that I am updating so much is because I am currently at the beach for easter break and so I literally sit in bed for most of the day typing and watching movies and listening to music, so I have a lot of time. Anyway, hope you like it and it would be great if you reviewed!**

Reporter:

"The whole world is currently in shock over finding out the identity of Cato Ludwig's mysterious girlfriend. While Cato arrived at his band's album release party with a girl from the school named Delly Cartwright, he sung to, hugged, kissed and left with another girl. While we did not see hardly any of this girl's face, through other sources, we were able to identify her as another girl that goes to Cato's school. Her name is Katniss Everdeen. We have not been able to gather much information on her, but we did get a chance to talk to some of her classmates about her. They said things like, "She is a skank, she is a slut, she sleeps with everyone, she is a bitch." Who is this girl that Mr. Ludwig is dating and why is she called all of these things? More to come on the story later."

Katniss POV:

I laugh as Cato kicks the door closed behind us, then lifts me up with my legs wrapped around his waist and we sit on his bed. The rest of the band rented a hotel room, so we have his room all to ourselves.

"Are sure we should be doing this? Your family could be home any minute," I ask him, but he laughs and says, "Relax, they won't be home for hours, we will be fine."

So he continues making out with me, and I am about to take off his shirt when I hear a high little voice say, "Cato! Cato! Cato! You have to explain everything to me!"

"Shit!" we both say, and all I have time to do is throw my sweatshirt back on before a little girl runs into the room. Her smile drops into an expression on shock when she sees me. She is adorable. She is African-American, and looks like she is about 12.

"Are you Cato's girlfriend?" she asks me excitedly. All I can do is look guilty and nod slightly. I see Cato slap a hand to his face. He is so going to get it.

"Kat, meet my little sister Rue," Cato says slowly, and I glare at him. He just laughs a little and she runs up and hugs me around my waist. I wince in pain slightly, but I try to keep my pain to a minimum.

"I have to go get mom and dad!" she cries as she run out of the room.

"Rue no!" Cato tries calling after her, but she is already gone. "Okay, jump out the window," Cato says to me.

"What? You know, I'm going to have to meet them eventually, and right now we are backed into a corner so we might as well get it over with," I tell him.

"Um, yeah, you don't know my parents. They are going to hate you, no offense or anything," he says, sort of pleading with me to leave.

"None taken. But we have to do it and I think them hating me is a given," I say back. Before we have any time to argue, Rue comes back with two people behind her.

Cato's parents are nothing like Cato. His mother is wearing a fancy dark green dress with pearls and silver shoes. She has blonde hair like Cato does, but hers is a lot blonder.

His father is bold and strong looking, and he looks a lot like him. Except for the fact that his hair is close-cropped and almost brown. They both have the same ice blue eyes, but his father is wearing a sport coat with a light blue shirt under it and kaki pants. Cato would never wear that.

"Hi honey! It's so good to finally meet you! You must be Katniss. We have been wanting to meet you so badly, and now you are finally here!" His mom squeals as she envelops me into a hug. I flinch badly, but she doesn't seem to notice.

When she finally lets me go, I look over at Cato's father. He is staring at me. His blue eyes piercing through me like Cato's do, and I know that he saw me flinching and he knows something is up. Great.

"Oh, you must stay for dinner!" his mom exclaims.

"No mom, Katniss really should be going," Cato tries to explain, but his mom doesn't let up. It is eventually decided that I will eat dinner at there house, which is alright as long as I don't stay late because my dad is home today. Of course, I don't say the last part about my dad. Cato and I decided that we weren't going to tell them right away.

We are all sitting down in a fancy dining room. We just started eating, so there hasn't really been much of a conversation yet. I just don't want to screw this up.

"So, Katniss, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" Cato's dad says. I don't even know where to begin.

"Um, like what?" I ask quietly. The wall is up, and I can't let it down.

"Well dear, lets see," Cato's mother says. "So, how long have you lived here?"

Okay, that one isn't too bad.

"I moved here when I was ten. We moved from a tiny little town in Virginia," I explain. I can feel that Cato is tense next to me.

"What do you like to do for fun?" Rue asks me, smiling. I can't help but smile too, and I reply back, "I don't have a lot of free time. I always have a lot of school work to do."

She seems to take this for an answer, but Cato cuts in, "No, that's not true. She's an amazing singer."

I laugh at that one, and reply, "No, I'm really not."

"Yes you are," he says back, and I just laugh a little. But out of the corner of my eye, I see his parents exchange a look of some sort. I don't know what the look means, but I can just imagine that it isn't good.

There is a short silence before his mom asks me, "Oh, do you and your family belong to the country club here? It is great!"

Oh shit. So that's what Cato was talking about.

I don't really know how to answer this, so I just say quietly, "Um, no, we are not members."

"Oh well you have to join!" she says before launching into details about their club. Yeah right we belong to a country club. The closest thing to a country club that I have ever been to was the time that Seneca hit me with a golf club.

"Yeah, we aren't really the country club type," I say, trying to get off of this topic. Now Cato and I share a look. And I know what our look means. It means oh shit this isn't going to way we want it to.

They talk about other stuff that I'm not really paying attention to. I take another bite of the chicken that Mrs. Ludwig made. It is actually pretty good, but I don't like to eat a lot, so I just pick at some of the stuff.

"So Katniss, when are we going to meet your family?" Cato's mom asks.

Cato and I simultaneously choke on our food. We are both coughing and choking and his parents are just staring at us like we are crazy. So I just fight through the coughing and say, "Oh, I don't know….."

"Oh! One time we should all go to dinner at the club and then they can see if they like it or not. Oh, they have a great spa there. One time, you and your mom should come with Rue and I. That would be so much fun," she sounds so enthusiastic, but her mentioning my mom is something that I can't take. So, I just say something vague. I just say, "Actually, my mom passed away a couple of years ago."

I feel Cato put his hand on my leg comfortingly. At least he knows how hard this is for me. I imagine it is hard for him too.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. Do you have a step mother?" She asks. No, my dad has been way to busy beating the shit out of me and raping me every night to find another woman that he can abuse. But I can't say that, so just say, "No, he never remarried.

And just then, Cato changes the subject thankfully.

We finish the rest of dinner, and no other bad topics come up thankfully. However, Cato's parents do share a couple more looks.

We finish dinner and I glance at my phone. It is almost 7, and I have to be home by seven so I say, "It's getting late, and I really have to go. Thank you for the great dinner, and it was really nice meeting you."

"It was great meeting you too. We most definitely be seeing you again soon!" his mom says, and she hugs me goodbye. I hug Rue goodbye too.

I have to get used to all of this hugging, because every time she has hugged me, I have flinched. I don't know if I could handle Cato's dad hugging me, but thankfully we just shake hands.

"I'll walk you out," Cato says and we head out of the front doors of his house. As soon as we start walking down the driveway to where my skateboard is, Cato says, "Well that went well."

"Yeah I guess," I mumble. I guess he catches this, and he looks at me, takes my hand and says, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Its just, they're your parents and I hate lying to them. And we both know we are going to have to tell them eventually, just like we have to tell the rest of the world eventually."

Cato takes a deep breath. "I know, I know. And I hate that you have to, but once they find out….. There is no way that they will let me be with you. That doesn't mean that I won't be with you, it just means that they won't like you. They are really close-minded people. They hate anyone who doesn't fit perfectly into their mold. They won't like us being together."

He has a point, but I still say, "Okay. But I think we should think about telling them before we tell the rest of the world, just so it isn't quite as shocking and they might be slightly more accepting of us."

"Okay. We can think about it," he says. Then he draws me in for a long, passionate kiss. "Stay safe, alright? Remember, call me at 11:30. I'll come over the second you say you want me to, okay?"

I nod, and then I say, "I love you."

"I love you too," he says back, and I get on my skateboard and skate down the driveway and to my house to what will almost definitely be a painful night.

**Please review! Reviews are great! OMG IM SO SORRY THE CHAPTER DIDN'T WORK THE FIRST TIME!**

**-M**


	20. Chapter 20: Ours

**Chapter 20: Ours**

**First of all, I would just like to say that the story actually has a lot more left in it. I don't know how much more exactly, but we are far from done, so don't worry ;D**

**Next, the song is one of my favorite songs from one of my most favorite artist. It is Ours by Taylor Swift. I chose it because it is talking about how even though people might disapprove of how they feel, they can't take their love away from them. It is perfect for this chapter. Please review!**

Katniss POV:

We decided earlier that I wasn't going back to school for the time being, so I thought I was going to get to sleep in a little. But that was not the case. I got a call at seven in the morning from Cato saying that his parents wanted to see both of us and that they didn't seem happy.

That is why I am twisting my fingers and shaking nervously while I ride my skateboard to Cato's house. I ring the doorbell when I get there and Cato opens the door right away. He pulls me into a hug and whispers into my ear, "There is something up."

I nod to tell him that I understand. Then he lets me go and we walk hand in hand into the living room where his parents are waiting for us. We sit down on a couch that I across from the one that his parents are sitting on.

"Hi," I say quietly to them. They smile back a little, and then we just sit in silence for just a second. It is quiet until Cato's mom speaks up and says, "Sorry we had to call you over so early, but this is sort of urgent."

"It's alright," I say back, still in a quiet voice.

"So what's the big, urgent thing?" Cato asks. He seems pretty on edge, and I guess its because he can guess that this will involve a fight and he is ready to argue.

"Well, last night when you and Katniss when outside, we overheard you talking. You were talking about something that you are keeping from us, something that we won't like. Care to share?" Now all of the niceness from his mom's voice is gone.

Oh. No. Please no. I thought we would have more time before we had to do this, I don't even know where to begin.

I look over at Cato, and we lock eyes. "Cato we have to," I whisper. He still just looks at me for a second, and then he whispers back, "Yeah. Your right."

I look down and he squeezes my hand to make me feel better. I take a deep breath, and start the best way that I know how.

"Um, we haven't exactly told you everything about me," I say quietly. I sound pathetic, but it's the best that I can do.

I glance at Cato one last time before I say, "You know how I said that my mom died a little while ago and how I said that my family and I aren't really the country club type?"

"Yes," they both say back while nodding at me to continue. And I do, I take a huge breath and continue quietly. "Well…. Um….. I watched my dad kill her."

I actually hear them draw in a sharp breath. "Did he go to jail?"

Here we go. I shake my head. "After that, my brother ran away and we moved here."

They look shocked. "A-are you living with him?"

I nod. We are silent for a second, then his dad asks, "Well what is he like? Is he remorseful?"

I shake my head and blink the tears back so that only Cato sees how I'm feeling. "Listen, I won't tell you any of the details of my life. Who I am would scare the hell out of you. But my dad has sold me, raped me, and beaten me within an inch of my life pretty much everyday since I was 10."

They look so shocked that I can't stand it. I don't want their pity.

But I don't get pity, instead his mom says while looking right into me. "It all makes sense now."

"What makes sense?" I ask. It is hard to talk.

"Why you are with Cato!" Now she is yelling. She is mad, but I don't really know what for. "You are using him to get rich and famous! Get away from him!"

What?!

His mom moves to grab my arm and drag me out of their house or something, but Cato stands up in front of me and says in an equally mad voice, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"She is using you, she is using us, to get a singing career and to make money. She just wants you to feel bad for her, she doesn't really love you. All she loves is your fame and you money. Open your eyes, she is just a poor girl with a bad life and she is using you!" His mom practically screams. Damn she is insane!

"Mom I can't believe you are saying this!" Cato says. He is pissed I can tell, but so am I.

I stand up and I say, "Okay listen. I have been called so many things, things you don't even want to know about. And I will take that. But what I won't take is you saying that I don't love him and I am using him! Yeah, I am using him! I'm using him to keep my sanity and to keep me alive! That's right, he is my only reason for living! I love him more than anything, hell, he is the only thing that I love!"

She looks taken aback by my sudden outburst. But now that I am talking, I can't stop myself. I continue, "Did I tell you that I have cut since I was 14? Did I tell you that I have hated life since before that? Did I tell you that I tired to tell Cato that we shouldn't be together so many times, but he didn't listen? Did I tell you that I tried to kill myself like two weeks ago and Cato saved me? You don't know all of these things, and you don't know shit about me! So don't tell me I can't be with him because you know nothing about us!"

With that, I grab my bag and I storm out of the front door of the house. The tears start falling now because Cato is probably mad as hell and his parents will probably get a restraining order against me. Why do I have to screw everything up? Why can't I just control my temper sometimes? Ughhhhhh!

I am about to skate away from his house when I hear footsteps behind me and huge strong arms pick me up and twirl me around from behind.

When Cato puts me down, he sees that I am crying and he is a lot more comforting now.

"Hey, its okay Kat. That was like the coolest thing that I have ever seen!" He says. But I just shake my head and say back, "No it wasn't. I just made them hate me! Now we will never be able to be together. I completely blew it!"

"No you didn't! You did what I have been trying to do for years! You stood up to them. It was amazing! And I don't care if they don't want us to be together, we are still going to be together. That was great, please don't cry."

He hugs me, and I stop crying.

"How mad are they?" I ask quietly.

"Well, right now they are sort of in shock, but I would say that on a scale of 1-10 it would be 11," He says smiling. I laugh at this and say, "Way to make me feel better."

"Anytime," he says. Then he takes my hand and starts walking me towards his car.

"Where are we going?" I ask him suspiciously.

"Well," he replies, "First we are going to chick-fil-a to get some food, then we are going to the grocery store to get a bucket of ice cream, then we are going to the lake for the rest of the day."

I laugh, and we take off.

**Please review! I might be able to update again later today, but if I don't, happy Easter to all of you who celebrate it! I actually went to church today guys, this doesn't happen often, lol!**

**-M**


	21. Chapter 21: Red

**Chapter 21: Red**

**Ok, the song for this chapter is actually PERFECT! However, it is another Taylor Swift song. It is Red by Taylor Swift, and I love this song too! You will see why in the chapter (she sings it) but I think that the lyrics of this song really describe how Katniss feels about Cato. I hope you like it and please review. Oh, and shout out to Lee Anne (or however you spell you name because I couldn't really tell, lol) glad you are liking the story ;D**

Katniss POV:

Dammit I'm so lost.

Well, Cato texted me to meet him at this place. It's pretty much a compound like place with a bunch of places to practice dance or record music and stuff. He says that his band members are dying to meet me and now is the perfect time.

Well, I got through to fence and I walked through the back door like he told me to in the directions he put in the text. The building is flat and concrete and is a strange cream color on the outside. On the inside the walls are sort of a cream color, and the floor is shiny concrete. It looks like it is under an arena of some sort.

While the interior and exterior are very plain, the exterior is complex. It is like a freaking labyrinth in here! I am so lost and so confused in here. I keep trying to call or text Cato, but I don't have cell service down here.

I keep wandering around for probably 15 or 20 minutes. I am still so lost at this point that I don't even know what to do. But then I see a girl turn the corner and walk down the same hallway that I am walking down.

She is blonde and pretty. She has her hair in perfect braids and is wearing a tight pink shirt and navy blue sweatpants. She stops when she sees me, then she puts on a smile and walks briskly towards me.

Okay, good, this is the perfect opportunity to find out where the hell I am. So I ask her, "Hi, um, I'm a little lost, can you help me?"

She smiles wider and says in a happy, but clearly fake voice, "Hi, I'm sorry, I don't think that fans are allowed inside this building, but I will be happy to escort you out."

I almost laugh, because it is sort of hilarious. I can't really blame her though, I mean, they haven't actually gotten a good look of me on the news, but it is only a matter of time. I try to say, "Oh, I'm not-" but she cuts me off by saying, "No, I'm sorry but you really need to go."

I am about to protest more when, of all things, a golf cart rounds the corner that the blonde girl had just came from. I immediately see Cato behind the wheel. He is such an idiot, but then again, I have always wanted to ride a golf cart.

"Where the hell have you been?" Cato asks as he pulls up next to me. The blonde looks really confused, but I just go along and talk to Cato.

"Well, you suck at giving directions. I have been wondering around this place trying to find you for forever," I say as I climb into the seat next to him. Blondie is still just standing there looking sort of shocked, but she finally manages to say, "Wait, what's going on?"

Cato rolls his eyes, "This is Kat, the girlfriend you guys have been dying to meet. Kat, this is Glimmer Rambin. Glim, this is Katniss Everdeen."

He face immediately drops and now I start laughing. "I am so sorry! I seriously had no idea and you don't know how many strange fans try and sneak into this place! I am really sorry," she says.

"It's fine," I say back. Now she smiles and hops onto the back seat. She then says, "Okay, well now that that is over with…. Oh my gosh it is so great to meet you! We have all been wanting to meet you for so long and now you're here and this is great! The others are in the room that we like to hang out in, so you can meet them there."

"Yeah," is all I can manage to say back to her. I never know what to say to over bubbly girls like her, but she seems nice.

We keep riding in the golf cart until we stop outside of a room. I can hear the music blasting from the room even though the door is closed. Glimmer goes into the room and squeals, "She's here!" and then everyone that was in the room bursts through the doorway and then are all staring at me like I am some sort of exhibit at a museum.

I recognize the two guys as the other two in the band, Marvel and Peeta, and I think I remember seeing Glimmer and the brunette girl at the party and maybe on a poster or the news or something.

The first words said came from Marvel, and they were, "Damn she's hot." After that, Glimmer flicked him in the head and he shut up. "Guys, this is Katniss, Kat, this is Marvel, Peeta and Clove."

I get various "Heys" from the two guys, but Clove runs up and hugs me and then she starts saying something about how great friends we will be and how I am one of them now or something like that.

I am a little overwhelmed by all of it, but they seem pretty nice. We all settle into the room that they were in before. It's pretty cool. It has the same cream walls and boring concrete floor as the rest of the place, but they have found ways to make it their own.

There are red and black rugs on the ground and there are posters everywhere. Some of them are Mockingjay posters, others are posters of other bands or of Glimmer and Clove. I guess they are just singers that I have never heard of. There are also some photos of all of them together, and they are really cute. There are some guitars, a drum set, and an electric piano.

There are also the four black couches that we are currently sitting on right now. All the guys were just talking, so the girls came over to me and we started talking.

"Okay," Clove says, "Let's start with the basics, how did you two meet?"

That's a funny story. "We met at school."

"Ok, well we need details! Like, what was the first thing you ever said to him?" Glimmer says. Now I laugh, this is going to be good. I smile and say, "Dammit."

They start cracking up and through their laughter, Clove says, "What? Why?"

"Well, so, he crashed into me and made me drop my books! So I was just like dammit, and that's what I said," I say. Usually I don't really like girls, but these two seem pretty cool.

"Ok that makes more sense," Clove says, then Glimmer asks me, "So what do you like to do?"

"Um, I don't have a lot of free time, but I really like music," I say simply, but that sets them off into a whole conversation.

"Oh my gosh really?! Do you sing? Do you play any instruments?" Glimmer asks me, and I just respond the best that I can. "I play guitar, and yeah, I like to sing."

"Are you any good?" Clove asks. They both look so excited to hear about me, and I don't know why. I also don't know how to answer that question, but I don't have to, because Cato cuts in. "She is freaking amazing, and she writes the best songs!"

"No, I'm really-" I try saying, but they all start shouting, "Sing something! Sing something!"

"Come on, just do it!" Cato says, and I glare at him. "Okay, okay fine! Here, hand me the acoustic over there," I finally say. I would have to give in at one point or another, so I'll just get this over with.

I decide to sing one of the songs that I have been working on recently. Cato hasn't heard it yet, so it will be surprising him too. I start playing and singing.

_Loving him was like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street_

_Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ended so suddenly_

_Loving him was like trying to change your mind once you're already flying through the free fall_

_Like the colors in autumn, so bright just before we lose it all_

_Losing him was blue like I'd never known_

_Missing him was dark grey, all alone_

_Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met_

_But loving him was red_

_Loving him was red_

_Touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you_

_Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song_

_Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword and realizing there's no right answer_

_Regretting him was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong_

_Losing him was blue like I'd never known_

_Missing him was dark grey, all alone_

_Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met_

_But loving him was red_

_Oh, red_

_Burning red_

_Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes_

_Tel myself it's time now, gotta let go_

_But moving on from him is impossible_

_When I still see it all in my head_

_In burning red_

_Oh, losing him was blue like I'd never known_

_Missing him was dark grey, all alone_

_Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met_

_'Cause loving him was red_

_Yeah, yeah, red_

_We're burning red_

_And that's why he's spinning 'round in my head_

_Comes back to me, burning red_

_Yeah, yeah_

_His love was like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street_

When I finish, I didn't even realize how lost I had gotten in the song. I was a little embarrassed, until I saw the look on their faces. They had their mouths actually open and they were staring at me. Not the kind of staring that most people stare at me like; they were staring at me in awe.

All of the sudden, they all just start laughing and clapping and saying stuff to themselves. "See!" Cato says, "I told you she was amazing!"

"Oh my god that song was so good! And you are seriously one of the best singer I have ever heard in my life!" Glimmer and Clove say. I just laugh nervously and shake my head, but they keep ranting on about how good I am. I have never been good being complimented, and right now is no different. However, their compliments make me feel really good. It's kind of strange.

We talk and hang out for the rest of the day, and for the first time in my life, I feel really excepted by a group of people. When I tell them that I have to get going, Glimmer says something as I am about to leave, "Oh, Cato, did you tell Katniss to come with us to the base tomorrow?"

Cato looks sort of alarmed, "No, I didn't. I don't really know if she would want to-"

"Oh but she has to come! Okay Kat, so sometimes we do these things together, like community service things or meeting a bunch of people, and tomorrow we are all going down to Fort Polk to hang out with some of the soldiers there. You have to come with us!" Glimmer says to me. I actually would like to come.

"Yeah, that sounds fun," I say. She starts squealing and Marvel says, "Just meet us here tomorrow at 8 and we can all go together from there!"

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow then. It was really great meeting all of you," I say. Glimmer and Clove hug me, and I actually think I like them. Cato is dropping me off at my house, so we walk out together.

"Kat, are you sure you'll be okay at the military base?" he asks me. "I mean, it will pretty much be a lot of people, a lot of men, and maybe even some press."

"Cato, I will be fine. It's okay, you can stop worrying about me," I tell him. I can tell him this a million times, but I know he will never stop worrying about me.

**Please review! I might be able to update again today, we will see how much more work I get done. Also, I have a question for all of you. What device do you usually read my stuff (or other's stuff) on? Please leave your answer in a review or you can PM me.**

**XOXO!**

**-M**


	22. Chapter 22: Breakaway

**Chapter 22: Breakaway**

**Song is Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson. Everything else will be explained at the end of the chapter. I don't want to give anything away. Read it. Review it. Love it. Here you go. Be ready.**

Katniss POV:

"Lets go! Everybody in the car!" Marvel yells as he herds all of us into the waiting black escalade. It's 8 in the morning and we are trying to leave for the military base, but we are all sort of scattered at the moment, and so Marvel is trying to get us in the car.

After about 15 minutes of Marvel yelling himself hoarse and running after all of us, we are all in the car and driving down the highway. Clove brought a couple of boxes of cereal that we are currently eating out of. Well, sort of eating sort of having a cereal fight.

When we get through the gates of Fort Polk and we pull up to the main building, there is a general waiting there to meet us.

He spends a little time telling us about the base, and then he says, "So, for most of the day you guys will just be spending some time with the soldiers and doing whatever they want to do with you, but on our way over to the rest of the soldiers I thought you guys could come with me to do something special. We have a regiment of soldiers here who just got back to the base about 20 minutes ago from Afghanistan, and I think that you guys might want to come with us to meet them. Maybe if you want you could help them unpack some of their stuff and settle them into their living quarters."

Cato replies quickly and says, "Yes of course sir. It would be great for us to do that, thank you so much for this great opportunity."

"No, I should be thanking you. I know they will all enjoy this," the man says. I think he says his name was General Havensbee, but I guess it doesn't really matter.

We head over to a wing of the main building. There, I see a pile of tan duffel bags with a bunch of men and woman in army uniforms who are trying to find their's in the pile.

"You guys can just go in there and help them, and then after that you can hang with them for a little while, okay?" the general says, and we all nod then go in. The others all find someone and go introduce themselves and start helping and talking to them, but I just sort of stand there looking awkward.

Cato must see how I don't know what to do, so thankfully he comes over to me, takes my hand and says, "Don't worry, just stay with me."

We walk over to a man and a woman who are trying to get their stuff out of the pile. The both look to be middle to late thirties, and Cato says, "Hey, you two want some help with that? I'm Cato, this is Kat."

The man looks at us and then answers, "Yes, thanks. I'm Beetee, this is my wife Wiress."

I look at the pile and I finally see a bag with a tag that has the name Wiress on it. I reach for it and manage to yank it out of the pile. When I look up, I look around to see where the woman is, and before I see her, I see a younger looking soldier staring at me. I stare at him for a second, and then I walk over to him. There is just something about him that makes me feel something. I don't know what, but I intend to find out.

He is tall and broad shouldered. He has dark brown hair and pale, olive skin. He also has warm brown eyes.

"Um, I'm sorry," he starts to say. "Its fine," I say back, and I smile at him. It actually isn't really a forced smile, which surprises me. We are silent for a second, but then he says, "You just remind me of someone, that's all."

Before I think, I ask, "Who?" He smiles a little, then says, "My mother."

Oh, okay. Though it makes me sort of sad that he says this, because it makes me think of my mother. "Um, I'm soldier Hawthorne."

"Hi. You can call me Kat. I'm Cato's girlfriend," I say smiling and we shake hands. Before we have time to say anything else, a pretty girl with short, dark hair with red streaks in it, a petite body, and pale skin walks up to soldier Hawthorne and says, "Where the hell have you been and-" then she notices me and says, "Oh, I am so sorry for interrupting. I was just looking for him. Um, I'm soldier Mason, and sorry, but I don't recognize you."

"I'm Kat, I'm Cato's girlfriend," I say. She laughs and says, "Well, since you weren't his girlfriend when I left the country a year ago, I don't know who you are, so I'm sorry."

I actually laugh at this. I like how honest she is with me. "I have to give this to someone, " I say, gesturing towards the bag, "But it was great meeting you two."

"Bye," I hear them say back as I walk off and give Wiress her bag.

"No way! That did not happen!" Johanna says as she laughs her head off. Actually, we are all laughing our heads off because Marvel just told us the story of how he got into music. He said he was 10 and his dad took him to a music store. Marvel was wondering around and he tripped over a cable or something and fell into a bunch of guitars and drums. He said that there was a loud crash and they were like broken, but he thought that it sounded awesome.

"But true story!" Marvel says as the laughter dies down. We continue to talk for a little while, and as it goes on, it get's a little bit more serious. Right now, Cato, Marvel and I are sitting on one of the bunks with soldier Hawthorne and soldier Mason. We learned that soldier Hawthorne and soldier Mason have been together since for almost a year now. They are pretty awesome.

"So what are the informal names that we can call you by?" Cato asks.

Johanna says, "Well you can call me Johanna and you can call him Gale."

When she says Gale, so many things come to my mind. That was my brother's name. I get rid of the tears before they even have the chance to come back to my eyes. I just keep looking down and hope that no one notices.

"And where are you originally from?" Marvel asks.

Johanna says simply, "I'm from Lansing Michigan."

Gale's response however makes everything stop. "I'm originally from Seam Virginia." My heart literally just stops dead inside of me. Am I dreaming? Could this possibly be real?

Cato says happily to Gale, "Oh that's where Katniss is from."

I stare right at Gale and I can't breathe. Now he stares right at me, and Johanna asks, "Katniss? Is that what Kat is short for?"

I can't stop staring at him. Could this be….. Could he be alive?

"You look like my mother….." Gale breathes.

"Who got…" I am barely whispering, and I trail off, because by the look on his face he knows exactly what I am about to say without making me go through the pain of saying it out loud.

"Catnip?" He says, and I see the tears that are in my eyes appear in his too.

It's him. It's actually my brother.

I don't hesitate for a moment, I jump right over to him and hug the hell out of him while completely losing control of my tears. I cry because I am so happy that he is alive, and I am actually seeing him again after all these years. He looks so different now then he did back then, that I didn't recognize him. He used to be sort of lanky with shaggy hair, but now he is strong and muscular with close-cropped hair.

I used to think that I would do anything for him to be with me. Then I thought that I would do anything to go back in time and leave with him. Then I thought I would do anything for him to be alive. Then I just blocked his memory out all together because like many things, it was just too painful. But now he is here, and he is hugging me and crying with me.

Cato POV:

At first I have no clue about what is going on, and then I remember. Gale was\is her brother's name… This is her bother.

Holy shit.

Kantiss POV:

"You're all grown up," he whispers, and I laugh and nod. This has to be one of the happiest moments of my life. "You're alive," I whisper, and he laughs and nods too.

**AHHHHHHH IT WAS SO GREAT TO WRITE THAT! Don't worry, everything will be explained in the next chapter. First of all, the song was chosen because it is kind of saying how Katniss is breaking away from her father and learning to really live and I thought that it worked perfectly. Second of all, to fasistaanime, YOU ARE PSYCHIC! And to all of you (specifically fasistaanime) I would LOVE some song suggestions for you guys! And even if I don't use them in this story, I will most likely use them for my next story which I already have planned out and will give you guys more details on later.**

**Until then I love you all so very much!**

**-M**


	23. Chapter 23: Feel Again

**Chapter 23: Feel Again**

**Hey guys, what's up? First of all, thank you for all those great reviews I am getting, let's keep that up! Next, the song for this chapter is PERFECT! It is Feel Again by One Republic. It talks about not seeing someone in a long time and now that they are back the person can feel again and just look up the lyrics or listen to the song because it is AWESOME!**

Katniss POV:

Cato, Gale, Johanna and I somehow manage to get away from everyone who is staring at us and into a cold closet. Gale and I didn't really stop crying, but his crying looks strong, and I know mine looks really weak. Gale has always looked so strong.

"You explain what happened to you first," I say as soon as Cato closes and locks the door.

Gale looks at me and says, "First of all, what does this guy know? And how old is he and have you two slept together?"

And after all these years he is still as over protective as I remember him. "That is beside the point I will explain that later, but he knows everything. So tell me, what the hell happened to you?"

"Language!" He said, and I give him a look that means 'don't even go there' and he shuts up. It is so good to have him back that I can't even get over it.

"Well, I ran and I kept running. It killed me to leave you, it was so hard, but I did it so that we would be safe once I came back and got you. I came back 3 weeks later, but you guys were gone. You just completely vanished and no one had a clue where you were. I looked for you for months, but I found nothing. I lived on the streets and in camps with other teenage runaways for three years, and when I was 19 I enlisted. I have been in the army ever since okay now you have to tell me what happened because I am dying here," he says.

"Well, a lot happened, I don't even know where to begin," I say. Gale looks really confused. "Kat are you sure you should-" Cato starts to say but I don't let him finish. Is he crazy, of course I have to tell him. I know it will break his heart, but I have to. "Yes Cato, of course I have to!"

"Tell me what? And first of all, how did this happen? How did you two meet and how the hell did you get to Louisiana? And where are you living now? I mean, I'm sure you're in foster care or something but how did you get out of Virginia?" He asks rapidly. Damn he is wrong.

"I'm not in foster care," I mumble, and out of everything he does, he starts to smile. "You mean you got adopted? That's great!" he says. Oh, so that's what he thought. Not even close, but I don't know how to tell him that, so I just don't say anything and I look down.

"What's wrong Catnip? You got adopted right?" he says when he sees me, but I still don't say anything. "Katniss what's going on? Someone tell me something!" he says desperately. I have to do this. I look up and seeing him makes more tears spring to my eyes. "I wasn't adopted," I say quietly.

His face softens and he says, "That's okay. You don't have to be adopted! And just because one of your foster family's hasn't adopted you doesn't mean that they didn't like you. That's nothing to be upset about."

Shit this is going to be hard. And he is making it so much harder with what he is saying. He gives a light laugh and continues. "I mean, come on Catnip. You got off easier than I did. I was homeless for years and then I had to join the army, which is insanely hard. Believe me, the foster system isn't that bad."

What?

What did he just say? Okay, now I am pissed off. How can he say that? Well, he doesn't know what happened, but still!

"What?" I say quietly, my tears about to spill over.

"Foster care isn't that bad," Gale says and I can't take it. I see Cato holding his tongue, but I can't hold mine. The tears spill over.

"I can't do this….." I whisper as I put my hands to my face and try and breath deeply. I think my deep breathing is failing.

"It okay Kat, you don't have to," Cato says. I know he is trying to comfort me, but it isn't really helping because I know that I do have to do this.

"Yes I do! But I can't and…. Ugh!" I say. I am so frustrated right now!

"Johanna," Gale says, "Can you and Cato walk outside and give us a moment?"

Johanna nods and starts to go to the door, but of course Cato says, "What? No way I-" But I cut him off. Gale's right, I should do this alone with just Gale and I. "Cato, please?"

He looks at me, then says sternly, "I'll be right outside. Call me right away if you need anything."

I nod, and the two exit through the door. As soon as it is closed, Gale looks at me and says sadly, "What happened to you Catnip? You seems so….. different from when I last saw you."

"Yeah, I am different," I mumble, and he quickly says, "Well, I know that you are a lot older than you were then, but this isn't just that you've grown up. You're just… different and I can't place how, but I don't feel like it's a good different. Please just tell me what is going on."

I look down and breathe in as I whisper, "I'm not in foster care."

"What do you mean?" he seems really confused. Why can't he just put it together in his head already?

"I mean I am still living with _him_," I say in disgust. He disgusts me, everything to do with where I am living disgusts me.

"No…" Gale says. "No you can't be!"

"Two weeks after mom, we dropped everything and moved to Breaux Bridge, where we have lived ever since," I say. For some reason, I can't make my voice work very well.

"Well, how is he?" Gale says. He is speaking softly now too. I can't respond to that, so I just look up and I look him dead in the eyes. It isn't hard to see the pain in my eyes, and I can tell he sees it because is see tears forming in his eyes as he says, "What did he do Katniss?"

"What didn't he do," I spit out. He looks like he is about to cry, and I am already crying. I don't know how to tell him or even where to begin. So I do the only thing that I can think of. I mean, he is my brother after all, and I love and trust him.

I am wearing a black sports bra, so at least that's good. With shaking hands, I slowly pull up my shirt. His eyes get wider as it goes up, but when it is fully up he screams like I have never heard him scream and bursts into tears.

I am shaking and crying and I pull my shirt back down. "K-k-k-k-katniss?!" he stumbles out as he cries. "Did….. he…. Do….. that?" he says in barely a whisper.

"Yes," I whisper back and he keeps crying, but I think now he has gotten over the initial shock because now his crying is silent. Seeing him like this makes me feel horrible.

But to my surprise, next he grabs me softly and pulls me into him. He just holds me while he cries, and then I start to cry too. I can't help it.

We stay like that for a long time, but after we have both calmed down, he pulls away and looks at me. "That explains all of the makeup," I hear him mutter to himself. We are silent for a long time while he just looks at me.

"Catnip?" he eventually says, breaking the silence. "Yeah?" I say back. "I need to ask you something, and I need for you to answer me truthfully," he says. Oh no, this can't be good. I nod, and he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and then starts to ask me, "Did dad ever… um, I don't really know how to say this. Did he ever rape you?"

I was right, this isn't good, but I am honest with him. "Yes," I say and he draws in a breath. I can tell he is being strong for me, just like he did when we were younger.

"How often?" he asks quietly. I look down, and then say, "Pretty much every night since I was 14."

I can practically see his heart breaking in his eyes. He looks like he wants to cry and then kill something, but he is holding it together even though it is clearly hard for him. I don't mean to make it harder, but I add, "And he started selling me to other guys to rape me this year."

"That is horrible," he spits out in disgust. "That man is sick, he belongs in hell. And you're so strong and everything that has happened to you is so horrible… and it is all my fault."

When he says this last part, it pains me. It isn't his fault!

"Its not your fault! You did what you had to do, I get that. A least you got out. I would never want you to ever have to go through what I have been through," I say.

"Well do you think I want you to go through those things? God, if I had just stayed with you than at least you wouldn't have been alone. It's all my fault," he says. He is in pain. He is hurting and he feel terrible, but he needs to know what happens when you think that it is your fault.

"Listen Gale. For a long time, a really long time, I thought it was all my fault. I hated myself so, so much. And, it led me to do a lot of things. I have cut since I was 14, and it was hard to stop. I'm definitely not out of the water yet, but at least now I have a chance. I have tried to kill myself three times, but for the first two, right before I would do it I would hear you and mom and know that that isn't what you would have wanted. Thinking of you two saved me. But a couple of weeks ago, something huge happened and I was actually going to do it that time. I even started to do it, but then Cato came in and he saved me. I just want you to know that thinking that it is your fault gets you to a really bad place and I would never want that for you. It isn't you fault, it's dad's."

**I am soooooo sorry that it took me so long to update! It has been CRAZY! I have had lax practice, lax games, tonight I have to stay up all night studying for a huge history test and I just got back from my chorus concert so yeah, I am exhausted! But anyways, I hope you like it and thank you so much for all of the amazing reviews and songs suggestions. I will try and us as many of them as I can. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME MORE!**

**Love you guys**

**-M**


	24. Chapter 24: Blown Away

**Chapter 24: Blown Away**

**So, I just wanted to start off by saying that my dad was in the army for 25 years and the marines for 2. He fought in the Vietnam war and retired with the rank of a colonel. He was actually stationed at Fort Polk, and I have been there countless of times along with many other military bases. When it comes to things related to the army, I know what I am talking about. Just thought I would let you know that.**

**I know that someone suggested it, but I have been thinking about using this song in this story for a long time and someone telling me to use it just knew that I had to! So, since this is the perfect chapter for it, I am using the song Blown Away by Carrie Underwood. I love this song! Anyway, I will finish explaining why I used this song at the end of the chapter, so yeah. Please review.**

Katniss POV:

We are driving back from the army base. Gale had to stay under official orders, but he said that he would see me again as soon as possible. After we came out of the closet and faced all of the questions from people, we were able to get really close again and just be ourselves around each other. He is like the big brother that I remember him being. I know that things won't be the way they were before, but maybe that is a good thing. After all, the circumstances have changed and will hopefully change in a way again so that my dad will find his ass in jail for life without parole.

It is dark when we pull up to the building. I still don't know what to call it, but Marvel told me to call it the compound.

We all walk in and we are all talking like crazy. We are cracking jokes, having fun, and it just feels so good. It feels natural to be with these guys, just like it feels natural to be with Cato.

We are all just sitting on the couch talking when Cato gets up to go get some food. There is kitchen a few rooms down, so hopefully he will be back soon because I am really hungry. I decide that now is a good time to go and get my stuff from my house. I get up and Marvel says, "Woah, Kat I thought you said that you were going to stay and spend the night."

"I am, I just have to go get my stuff from home. I'll be right back," I say and start to walk to the door. I am almost to the door when Glimmer says, "Oh Katniss! I completely forgot to tell you!"

"Tell me what?" I ask. She seems really happy, but I don't know where this is going.

"This afternoon when you, Cato, Marvel, and Clove were outside with some of the guys doing combat or whatever, I was inside with some of the girls and that interview was so cute!" she says. What is she talking about?

"What interview?" I ask.

"The one they did with your dad silly!" she says.

Everything goes rigid. I can't think. This. Cannot. Be. Happening.

"What?" I breathe.

"Oh yeah," she says. She seems perky, but then again, she doesn't know who my dad is. "Somehow, these reporters tracked down your dad and they came to your house and interviewed him. He seems really sweet, like he really cares about you."

I can't breathe. If she thinks he is sweet than I know that he is pretending to be the best dad in the world. I am having a break down inside my head.

"Bullshit!" I scream and I start panicking. I have to go back and get my stuff. And even more important, the only things left that I have of my mom. But if I go back I know exactly what he is going to do: He is going to kill me.

Just then, Cato runs in and says, "What's going on?"

My words come out slurred and in a rush. "They found my dad, they interviewed him, and he put up a load of bullshit!"

"Katniss you can't-" he starts but I say desperately, "I have to! I have to get my mom's stuff! He'll burn it or something he can't! I'm going back!"

"Katniss he's going to kill you!" he says frantically trying to block me from the door. "Cato I can do this! I have to do this! I promise, I'll be back in thirty minutes, if I'm not than you call the cops. I swear it!"

"Katniss, please!" He tries, but by now he has to know that it isn't going to work. I look him right in the eyes and say, "I don't have a choice. I love you."

I kiss him quickly and he squeezes my hand reassuringly, then I gather my wits and dash to Cato's truck.

I sneak up the stairs as quietly as I can. There was no car in the driveway, and from what I can tell, no one is home. But I can sense that something is wrong here. The house is silent, and that scares me. Sometimes my house is quiet, but never this scary and silent.

The stair that I step on creaks and it startles me, but still, nothing happens. I get to the top of the stairs and quietly walk over to my room.

My palms are sweating and I am nervous and terrified. I open the door to my room and I flip on the light. Still, there is absolutely no noise or signs of other life. I walk over to my bed quickly and grab my backpack out from under it. I start to stuff a bunch of clothes in it. I dump the blades out and I stuff my box in there too. I stuff mom's robe in and her necklace. I stuff in the little, dirty, blue rabbit that she gave to me when I was little, and I stuff in my journals, moms old video camera, my secret video tapes, and my phone charger.

This is way too easy, but I guess I am just going to go with it. I am about to dash downstairs to leave, but then I hear something. A creak on the top step of the stairs.

I flip around and I see my dad standing in my bedroom door with a large, sharp knife. I look at the knife, then back at him, and I know what he will do. But I can't let him. I have too many reasons to live now.

"You told them," he hisses.

"No I didn't tell them anything I swear-" I try to say, but he screams, "You told them you little bitch!" There is a moment of silence and heavy breathing before he hisses, "And now you are going to pay for it."

He runs at me with the knife aimed to kill. I weasel out of the way at the last second. The knife stabs the wall and goes straight through it. He yanks it out and then turns to come at me again.

My body is in full fight mode. I look around for something that I can use as a weapon. He runs at me again, and without thinking, I grab the lamp off of the nightstand. Before I can use it to defend myself, he plows into me so hard that we both lose our balance and go flying into the wall behind us.

The knife doesn't hit me, which is good but not reassuring by any means. I think quickly while I struggle underneath him. He is on top of me, so I make some quick decisions and knee him in the balls.

He scrunches up and cries out in pain, and I use his moment of weakness to get up. But recovers and gets up too fast. He hops up and before he is even up he slashes the knife.

I am too close this time. I feel nothing but wind, and then a sharp, stinging pain in my stomach. I look down to see that my shirt is ripped and my stomach is bleeding. I get a quick glimpse of the cut, and I can see that it is long and shallow. I will be fine, even though it hurts. I just have to grit my teeth and fight through.

Now he runs straight at me with the knife pointed directly at my heart. Before he can reach me, I just start using the lamp as a bat and keep hitting him with it until he is crouching down. I keep hitting and then I flip the bed over on top of him so that he can't get up for a few minutes or so.

With him down I take the opportunity to grab my backpack and get the hell of this damn house. I jump down the stairs and through the door. I sprint to the truck and away from the house just as I can hear my dad screaming from upstairs.

I put the key in the ignition, drive down the driveway, and then drive down the road as fast as I can. I can't believe I just did that.

Cato POV:

I have been pacing since the minute that she left. The others have been yelling at me trying to figure out what is happening, but the most I can say right now is holy shit.

Of course I didn't want her to go, but I knew that there was no stopping her. Now it has been almost thirty minutes and there is no sign of her and I am freaking out and I am about to call the cops.

Suddenly, I hear a loud crash coming from right outside of the room. All five of us bolt to the door just to see Kat stumbling towards us. Thank God!

Her shirt is ripped and stained with a lot of blood. I can sort of see a cut on her lower stomach, and her face is bruising. She looks sweaty, bloody, scared, and messed up, but she is smiling one of biggest smiles that I have ever seen on her.

She falls down on the ground and we all dive towards her. I put her head in my hands and I know that she is about to pass out. However, right before she passes out she whispers something. At first I can't tell what it is, but then she says it again and I understand. "I'm free," she says.

**What did you think of that?! Anyway, I chose the song because it talks about how she is destroying her horrible childhood, getting away from her father, remembering her mother, and leaving her past behind. In referencing the song to the story, here is what I meant for Katniss to be thinking during the fight scene: "Shatter every window till it's all blown away. Every brick, every board, every slamming door blown away. Till there's nothing left standing, nothing left of yesterday. Every tear soaked whiskey memory blown away. Blown away." Hope that makes sense.**

**PLEASSSSSSSSSE REVIEW!**

**You guys are the bestest!**

**-M**


	25. Chapter 25: Stand Down

**Chapter 25: Stand Down**

**Ok, sorry I couldn't update yesterday, but here is another chapter. I some more great reviews, so thank you so much! The song is Stand Down by Little Mix. This is one of my favorite songs and I chose it because…. Well, just listen to the song or look up the lyrics.**

Katniss POV:

We are all sitting in a circle and no one has said anything for ten minutes. I have been counting the time.

I just told them everything. I'm pretty sure they either want to cry, they hate me, they want to kill him, or they just have no idea how to react to my life's story. To be honest, I think it is the last one.

I am sitting on Cato's lap. While I was out, Cato managed to stop the bleeding. They said I was only out for thirty minutes, and Cato didn't let them take me to a hospital and they didn't understand why. Now that I have told them everything, they understand.

We keep sitting there, and it is so quiet that you might be able to hear a pin drop. The only sound in the room is the faint clicking of the clock, which I am still using to count the minutes. Eleven minutes.

Twelve minutes. Still nothing.

Thirteen. Nada. No one has said shit.

Fourteen is almost up, when Clove jumps up and says, "I've got it!"

We all look at her like she is a lunatic. She is smiling and I can practically see the gears turning in her head. I know she has a plan, but I don't understand what, why, or how.

"You have what?" Marvel asks cautiously.

"The perfect plan to get revenge on Katniss's father," she says excitedly. I don't know how I feel about this. I mean, I definitely want revenge, but it is going to be hard, and the plan has to be perfect.

"How?" Cato says. I laugh inwardly. Of course Cato starts listening as soon as she mentions getting revenge on my dad.

She smiles deviously and says, "The Awareness Concert."

What the hell is that?

"What?!" they all say in astonishment.

"I'm sorry what is that and what exactly is your plan?" I say. She smiles and asks simply, "Grab your song book Kat. Cato, go make some coffee or get some drinks with caffeine in them, we are going to need it. Guys, we have some serious work to do tonight."

Her plan is genius.

That night we stayed up all night writing it, and it is without a doubt my favorite song that I have ever written.

In the next five days after that night, we came up with the choreography for it.

Three more days and we have costumes, the video diaries, and a real plan.

A week and a half more and we have rehearsed and rehearsed until everything is perfect.

Two more days brings me to today, the day before the Awareness Concert.

Apparently, The press has been going insane trying to figure out what we are doing for the he concert. But the only ones that really know anything are Peeta, Clove, Marvel, Glimmer, Gale, Johanna, Cato and I. Not even their record label or their manager really knows anything.

The Awareness Concert is going to be a huge deal. It is the first time that anything like this has ever happened. Anyone who is anyone is going to be there, and you have to be incredibly famous to preform. Somehow, some way, Haymitch snagged us the last spot in the concert.

No pressure right?

The whole point of this concert is to make celebrities look good by having them preform about a cause that they 'care deeply' about. I'm pretty sure that we are the only ones that care this much abut our cause.

The idea is for singers to preform a song that they have written specifically for this concert about their cause and donate the money to a charity or spread awareness about their topic or start a campaign or something like that.

We have a topic, actually a couple of topics, that we are spreading. We are going to be different from any other celebrity that is going to be preforming. Theirs is going to be something that they care about, ours is going to be my reality. Its taking a risk, but it is a risk that we are all willing to take. The press is going to be astonished, most like along with the rest of the world. Our performance is going to be rebellious and shocking to the public, but this is the best way we can think of to get revenge on my father and let tell the public about me.

Cato is going to be playing guitar, Marvel is playing drums, and Peeta is playing the piano part. We have some other people to play with us, but I haven't really talked to them much. Glimmer and Clove are singing back up and back up dancing to me. I'm singing most of the song and I am going to be the center of attention the whole time.

I am beyond terrified. I just hope I can hold it together through the whole song. This is a very emotional song for me to sing, but I know that this is just the way that I want it.

I can't let my nerves or my emotions get to me, so I choke them down like I have pretty much my whole life. If I don't, then I am screwed.

I cannot mess this up.

I just can't.

**Sorry it was sort of short, but the next chapter is HUGE! So please, be ready for that I would really appreciate some reviews!**

**XOXO!**

**-M**


	26. Chapter 26: Fighter

**Chapter 26: Fighter**

**Just let me start off by saying that this is one of my favorite songs, and that it was almost perfect to use for this chapter, but I had to change a couple of lyrics so that it worked. I'm sorry if that bothers you, but please just try and go with it. Anyway, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE SONG DURING THE PART IN THE STORY THAT SHE IS SINGING IT IN! The song is Fighter by Christina Aguilera. Please review because this is probably the coolest chapter in the story.**

Katniss POV:

My hands are shaking, and so is the rest of my body.

We are all back stage setting up, and all I can think about is how I can't lose it in front of the world. Selena Gomez just came off from doing some song to benefit homeless puppies or something, so that means that we are next.

We are the last performance, so it has to be good. And it is good. I think that our performance is amazing. But its not my opinion that matters, it's the publics and the press and wow- I think I just made myself even more terrified than before. Great.

"You ready?" Cato says as he walks up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. I can't talk, I just nod nervously and he laughs a little.

"You are going to be amazing. I promise," he says. I look at him and say, "Thanks."

Just then, the stage manager comes up and says, "Two minutes! Places everyone!"

"I love you," Cato says, and he kisses me then draws me in for a big hug. "I love you too," I say back, and then we break apart and go to our separate places.

Gale and Johanna are back stage somewhere, but I don't know where and I don't have time to look. I head over to Glimmer and clove, who are waiting for me in our spot. Those two are wearing black zipped-up leather jackets with red crop tops under them, red shorts, and black tight. I'm wearing a red zipped-up leather jacket with a black crop top underneath it.

"Let's do this," I mutter as we get into our starting places.

Suddenly, the curtain comes up and I can make out the dim outlines of all of the people in the audience. For most of the performance, there won't be any light except for just enough to see and some red lights. This way, when the really big moment comes, it will be more shocking. When the bright lights come on, all hell may or may not break loose.

The piano starts playing for the beginning of the song. There is no turning back now. Its time.

_(Katniss) _**(Glimmer and Clove) _(all)_**

**[spoken]**

**After all that you put me through,**

**You think I despise you**

**But in the end I wanna thank you,**

**'Cause you've made me that much stronger**

_Well thought I knew you, knew that you weren't true_

_Knew I, I couldn't trust called your bluff time is up_

_'Cause I've had enough_

_You weren't there by my side, never down for the ride_

_But your, your life just came down in flames_

_'Cause your greed sold me out in shame._

_After all of the stealing and cheating you probably think_

_That I hold resentment for you_

_But uh uh, oh no, you're wrong._

_'Cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do, I wouldn't know_

_just how capable, I am to pull through_

_So I wanna say thank you_

_'Cause it_

_Makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_It makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

**Ah oh, ah oh, ah oh, oh oh oh**

Something strange has taken control of me, and I don't know what. It feels like how I feel every other time that I sing times 5. It's strange, but it is making me feel invincible.

I can't see much in the audience, but I can feel that they are all having a really good time. They should be, until the big moment.

I didn't realize it earlier in the performance, but I have silent tears running down my cheeks. I can't let that affect my performance, so I keep singing.

_Never saw it coming, all of your backstabbing_

_Just so you could cash in on a good thing before I realize your game_

_I heard you're going round playing the victim now_

_But don't even begin feeling I'm the one to blame_

_After all of the fights and the lies cause you're wanting to haunt me_

_But that won't work anymore_

_No more, its over_

_'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture_

_I wouldn't know how to be this way now and never back down_

_So I wanna say thank you_

_'Cause it_

_Makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_It makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

**There was this man I always knew**

**And has always been just so cruel**

**You let them see the good in you**

**Pretend not to see the truth**

**You tried to hide your lies, disguise yourself**

**Through living in denial**

**But in the end you'll see**

**_YOU-WON'T-STOP-ME!_**

The second we all sing that, we throw our jacket off, leaving us in just the crop tops, and the bright lights come on. My bruises and cuts and scrapes and scars are now visible to the world. This is the big moment, and in this moment, I don't just feel invincible, I'm pretty sure I am invincible.

_I am a fighter and I_

_I ain't gonna stop_

_There is no turning back_

_I've had enough!_

**_Makes me that much stronger_**

**_Makes me work a little bit harder_**

**_It makes me that much wiser_**

**_So thanks for making me a fighter_**

**_Made me learn a little bit faster_**

**_Made my skin a little bit thicker_**

**_Makes me that much smarter_**

**_So thanks for making me a fighter_**

_You thought I would forget_

_But I remembered_

_'Cause I remembered_

_I remembered_

_You thought I would forget_

_I remembered_

_'Cause I remembered_

_I remembered!_

_Makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_It makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

Then, the music stops and the lights go completely out for a second. Everyone leaves the stage, but I stay on it. Then, I hear it: The video playing behind me.

I hear my ten year old self saying softly and sadly (because I was crying a little when I made the video), "Hi, my name is Katniss Everdeen, and I'm ten years old. I'm making this video with my moms old video camera so that maybe, one day I can show it someone and they can help me. Two nights ago, my dad was drinking and he got really really angry and him and my mom started fighting and my mom was trying to protect me, and then he shot me in my shoulder. Then he took the knife and he stabbed my mom. He killed her. My brother Gale ran away, he wasn't there to see her die like I was, but he promised he would come back for me. He is my only hope."

Now it really is completely silent in the crowd, and the projection rolls to the next video. This time, I hear my twelve year old self talking. I know that when I made this video, my face was bleeding and I had a black eye. It was right after one of my first really bad beatings.

I hear myself saying in a deep yet quiet and angry voice, "Hi. Now I'm twelve, and as you can see, I have the living hell beat out of me almost every day. Now I'm making this video to possibly show to the court one day to get my father put in the place where he deserves to go; a jail. I am covered in bruises, and I am always in a lot of pain. Gale hasn't come back for me clearly, and I think he is dead. Dammit I really hope something happens to get me out of here."

Some how, it gets even quieter in the crowd.

The video flips onto the next one, and this one I took on the scariest night of my life. In this video, my fourteen year old self is absolutely hysterical. I say frantically, "I-I-I-I'm fourteen, a-a-a-and nothing like this has happened before. H-h-h-h-he came into my room, and I d-d-d-d-didn't want it, b-b-b-but he held me to the bed and f-f-f-f-forced me…" I hear myself trail off into hysterical sobbing.

Now it's the last one, and the shortest one. I was almost sixteen when I took this one.

"Why can't I just die already?" is the only thing that the video says.

Then, everything is dark, until a single spotlight hits my face and the piano starts playing slowly and I sing.

_Makes me that much smarter,_

_So thanks for making me_

_A fighter._

**Please. Review. OH MY GOD!**

**-M**


	27. Chapter 27: So What

**Chapter 27: So What**

**Bad news guys, I won't be able to update as often. My parents are saying that I need to have an "Internet detox" for a while and I can only sneak on here every so often. I'm sorry, but you can still expect an update once a week at the very least.**

**Ok, so I know that some of the lyrics of this song don't really fit the chapter, but I am still using it because it is such a fun song and I like the attitude of it for this chapter. The attitude is kind of 'so what, your opinion doesn't change how I feel, you can think what you want' kind of thing, and I wanted to use it. So the song is So What by Pink. Hope you like the chapter and please review (even though it is short sorry!)**

"People everywhere cannot stop talking about the spectacular yet horrifying show that was at the Awareness concert last night by Mockingjay, Glimmer Rambin, Clove Furhman, and Katniss Everdeen. When the show started, we had no idea what to expect, but it was very good. We thought that the main thing we would take away from that performance is that Katniss Everdeen (Mockingjay frontman Cato Ludwig's mysterious girlfriend) has an amazing voice and is incredibly talented, however that was not the case. When the three girls took off their jackets at the stunning crux of the performance, we saw that Miss Everdeen was covered in gruesome bruises, scars, scraps and cuts. I know, from personal experience, the experience of others, and from some interviews with people who were at the performance or watching, that people thought that they were fake injuries being used to protest child abuse. But after what we thought was the ending of the performance, we saw what are believed to be the video diaries of young Katniss. Over the course of all of the videos, she reveals that her father killed her mother, she has is beaten very severely everyday by her father, he father raped her (most likely more than once) and that she wanted to die. After singing one last heartbreaking line to an incredible song, she left the crowd utterly stunned."

"Now, our station interviewed her father just a few weeks ago, and he seemed like he cared about his daughter and like he was a usual father. But Everdeen stated in her song that he wasn't telling us the truth and hiding who he really was. We didn't know what to believe, until the police caught Mr. Everdeen at 4:30 this morning. According to police reports, he was intoxicated and trying to get out of the country using a fake ID. Police are holding him now until his trial in 2 weeks. While Katniss may be out of the water with the press on the topic of whether or not she was telling the truth, she is not without problems yet. Some pictures are circulating the internet from last night's performance. They are up close shots of Katniss, and they are zoomed in particularly on her wrists, were there is a lot of evidence of self harm. Should this prove to be true, many people are questioning whether or not she is good for Cato. Here is what some celebrities who were at last night's show have to say."

**Screen change**

"Hi, I'm here with Selena Gomez. Tell me Selena, what is your opinion of Cato and Katniss's relationship now that you have found out about her past?"

"Well," Selena says, "I think that, while her past is horrible, I think that they shouldn't be together. I think that either Cato is going to break her heart some way and she doesn't need any more heartbreak in her life, or she will break his by her falling apart for good. I think that, while she is very talented, those two don't belong together and that she probably isn't a good thing for him."

**Screen change**

"Hi, we're here with Taylor Swift after last nights show. Taylor, what is your view on Katniss and Cato's relationship?"

Taylor says, "I think that there are going to be a lot of people that hate them being together, but I am not one of them. For me personally, I think she is truly an inspiration and amazingly talented. She is one of the most remarkable people I have ever heard of, and I think that her and Cato are an adorable couple and they really bring out the best in each other. If I could say one thing to them, it is that no matter what people say, don't ever let people get in between you two. You two were meant to be together."

**Screen change**

"We are here with Justin Bieber right now, and we are about to find out his views on Katniss Everdeen. What do you think Justin?"

He thinks for a moment, then says, "Well, they are clearly very in love, and clearly she can sing, but I don't think those two should be together at all. The whole point for having Cato go back to his hometown and back to school there was for him to become more grounded and make better life choices, not fall in love temporarily with a girl who is nothing but trouble. I mean, she comes from a bad family with a lot of alcohol, drugs and violence, so I don't see how she is making him a better person. And what if they do get married and have kids one day? What if she does that to her own kids, then what? I just don't see how she is good for him."

**Screen Change**

"It is right after the unforgettable performance by Katniss Everdeen at the Awareness concert, and I am here about to get Miley Cyrus's insight on how she feels about Cato and Katniss. What do you think?

"I think that people have better things to do with their life than waste their time over obsessing on how they shouldn't be together when clearly, they should be. Because since they really love each other, what has happened to Katniss doesn't matter to Cato, so therefore, it shouldn't matter to the rest of the world. People just need to accept that. I think that Katniss is beyond amazing in so many different ways and that Cato and her are going to be together forever."

Katniss POV:

"I'm sorry, I can't watch this any more," I say as I zap off the TV.

"Well, it's on every channel so if you want to watch TV, that's what your options are," Marvel says.

"Why do you think I am turning it off?" I ask him, and he just shrugs.

Here is what our day has been like. We can't leave the compound because there are floods of reporters outside, so we are making the most of it and we are all just sitting together eating ice cream out of the container in our sweatpants and tee shirts, not really talking about anything in particular.

Peeta is in the other room with Haymitch discussing where to go from here. They are there because the rest of us have no clue about what to do, but I'm pretty sure they don't have clue either.

Oh, yeah, Haymitch signed me this morning to Capital Records, so yay. It would be more exciting, but judging by how all I see every time I look out of the windows that we have now closed and locked are flashing lights of cameras and cop cars, it's not as big of a deal.

We just sit there silently for a second eating, then Haymitch and Peeta burst into the room and Peeta says excitedly, "Kat, Cato, we booked you guys for Caesar Flickerman! That's where you guys can really clear things up!"

Cato and I look at each other, then we both sigh and say, "Great," simultaneously, then we continue eating and talking pointlessly. That's pretty much all that goes on for the next week, granted a few or more make out sessions.

So, it's the day of the interview and we are sitting in our chairs on the set, waiting for Caesar to come on and for the camera to start rolling. The interview doesn't have a live audience thank god, but I am still shaking like a damn Chihuahua.

"Relax," Cato whispers to me, and he kisses me on the head. I nod, but he knows that there is no way in hell that I will be able to calm down.

They tried to get me to wear some little white and blue dress, but Haymitch stepped in and made sure that I didn't have to wear that. The best that they could get me to wear is a black skater skirt with black tights underneath, a tight maroon tee shirt, and a black leather jacket, which is what I am wearing now.

Caesar comes out and shakes hands with us, then he sits down and we prepare for the interview to start. Caesar is strange. He has a smile that is too smiley and he has blueish hair. But I guess I will just have to deal with him.

"3, 2, 1, rolling," I hear some man behind a camera say, and then I am painfully aware that we are on live television.

"Hello folks! It is my honor to be here today with the amazing Cato Ludwig, and the lovely Katniss Everdeen," he says. See, that is where he made his first mistake. I am not lovely at all. "Since these two performed at the Awareness Concert, there has been A LOT of talk on their performance. Tonight, we will get the details on this mysterious girls past and find out the truth about that spectacular performance. Let's get started, shall we?"

He greets us quickly, and once we are all settled, he looks at me and asks, "So Katniss, why don't we just get to the point. I think we are all dying to know the story behind those horrible scars and bruises that were on your

body during that huge moment in the show. Can you tell us about those?"

Breathe, breathe, remember to breathe.

"Um, yes. All of those bruises were given to me by my father or other various men," I say, trying to not look scared out of my mind just by saying those words.

"Please tell us about that," he says, and I know that I have to start.

"Every day since he killed my mother, my dad has beat me probably within an inch of my life almost everyday. When I was 14, he raped me for the first time. He has raped me a lot since, and this year just a couple months ago, he would pay a few men to have sex with me. I hated myself and my life until I met Cato," I say.

"Now, just to finish with the general topics, what were those scars and healing cuts that were seen on your wrists?" he asks me.

"After the first time he raped me, I started self harm. I tried to kill myself three times. The first two times, the thought of my mother stopped me. But the third time, I would have done it, if Cato hadn't saved me," I say. I am trying to show as little emotion as possible.

"Okay," he says. "Now down to the details. Do you remember the first time that he hit you or abused you in any way?"

I nod, and then I tell him the story. "Well, my father has always been an alcoholic, and sometimes he would be rude to me, my brother or my mother, but he was never that bad when we were around her. I remember when I was 6, my mom was out and he got really mad at me for something and he just slapped me. It wasn't anything bad, but my brother and I didn't tell our mom. He would hit us occasionally for the next four years, but never badly."

"Now, do you want to tell us about your mother's death?" he asks. Of course, I don't want to tell him, but Haymitch said that I had to answer all of the questions. So I just nod and tell him.

"We were living in Seam Virginia at the time, that is where I lived when I was little, and my mom had gone to drop my brother off at his friends house. While they were gone, my dad started hitting me. Then my mom came back in the middle of him hitting me and she freaked out. She tried to get me away from him, but he grabbed his gun out from the drawer and shot me in my shoulder. I didn't even lose that much blood since the bullet just grazed me, and getting shot wasn't as bad as watching him kill her. After that, she tried to get our stuff and leave, but he dropped the gun and took a kitchen knife and stabbed her until she died. She was the greatest person I have ever known, and I miss her every day. After he stabbed her, he buried the body and then left me lying on the floor in a state of extreme hysterics and shock. My brother walked home or something, because when he came back and I had to tell him everything. He was so mad and so hurt and so upset, that he told me to pack my bags and leave with him. I told him that I couldn't and I told him to go with out me. He swore he would come back for me, but he never did because we moved and he couldn't find us."

"I see, and did you every find your brother?" he asks. Finally, something happy.

"Yes, a few weeks ago. We were visiting the military base and he was there and we reconnected. It is great having him back because I thought he was dead and I really missed him," I say, almost smiling.

"That's great. Now, on to a happier topic because I know that that must not have been an easy topic for you to talk about. Am I right? Okay, now tell me, how did you two meet? Was it really romantic?" he asks. Good! This is getting better.

When we hear his question we both start to laugh. "Actually," Cato says, "It was after school and I ran into her. Literally, I crashed into her and she dropped all of her books. She then said 'dammit' and we had a conversation on how she didn't care that I was at the school and that she thought I was annoying and full of myself."

Caesar starts to laugh with us, and then asks, "So then how did you two become couple?"

"It took a little while," I explain, "But he found out about all of my problems and gradually I began to trust him. From the time that I started trusting and loving him, he became the best thing I have ever known."

"That is so sweet; you two are so sweet! Now, I have one more question for the two of you. How are you two planning on dealing with the people out there who disapprove of your relationship?" he asks, and we are both silent. We don't really have an answer, well at least I don't, but Cato replies.

"Well, we aren't together for peoples' approval, we are together because we love each other and we think that no matter what people think, it isn't going to change that."

He is exactly right.

"That is very true. Do you have anything to add to that Katniss?" Caesar asks, and I shake my head and say, "No, I think that Cato pretty much said it all."

"Well with that in mind, I think we are done here. It has been great talking to both of you," he says as we stand up and he shakes hands with both of us."

"As with you. Thank you for having us," Cato says, and we go off the air. I immediately breathe a sigh of relief. Thank god that is over.

**PLEASE REVIEW! ONLY ONE MORE CHAPTER LEFT!**

**-M**


	28. Chapter 28: Wings

**Chapter 28: Wings**

**I am sad to say, this is the last chapter. I will not be writing a sequel because I like the way that I am going to end this and I have other fanfics to write! So, the song is Wings by Birdy. I love this song and I love how it sums up the story perfectly. It's bittersweet melancholy makes it the perfect song to end this story with. Please read, review and enjoy.**

Katniss POV:

After all this time, everything is exactly how I remember it. Nothing has changed. Usually this would make me an emotional wreck, but after yesterday, I have the confidence to do this. Though it is hard, this is what she deserves, and I must do it for her.

*Flashback to yesterday*

I dig my nails into Cato's arm and hold my breath, waiting for the final verdict.

"Regarding the case against Hector Everdeen, the accused has been found guilty and has been sentenced to life in prison without parole."

I release my grip on Cato's arm, release the breath that I was holding and jump into Cato's arms. I am crying happy tears, and Clove, Peeta, Glimmer, Marvel, Gale and Johanna all pile into us and it turns into a huge group hug. I hear the people applauding all around us. This is what I have dreamed of since I was young, but I never thought it would really happen.

Then again, I never thought that any of this would happen, but it did, and I couldn't be happier. I will never have to live in fear of my father again. He is getting the justice he deserves. I am truly free.

*End of flashback*

Since my father has finally been put in jail forever, I know that now is the right time. So this morning we flew out here, and we are now driving along the road that I once knew so well.

I remember how everything here was always sort of covered in a light layer of dust from the nearby mines, I remember the smell of the air and the look of the trees.

It looks the exact same, but it feels so different. I have changed so much since that night that we left. That horrible night.

Nothing is the same as it was then, and it will never be the same again. I used to think that I wanted it to be the same, but now I know that I don't. I mean, I still wish with all of my heart that my mom was still here, but everything happens for a reason, and now I have found Cato and my life is complete again for the first time since that night that she was killed.

My heart literally jumps out of my chest when I see it. I see the little wooden house with the wood so old that it has turned grey. I remember the red tin roof, and I remember how it would always leak when it rained. There are so many good memories in that house, but there are some horrible ones too.

We turn down the driveway and we are all silent. It is just Gale, Johanna, Cato and I since we didn't want everyone else to come. This is going to be hard enough as it is.

It strange being back in Seam since I thought I would never come back, but I guess I was wrong as I was wrong about a lot of other things.

Cato parks the car behind the cars of the workers. Cato called some company this morning and told them to come here and to have it done before we got here. As much as I love my mom, it would kill me to dig up her body and to be there when she is cremated.

We walk inside of the house, and for the first time since the night we left, I see the place where I grew up. It hasn't changed a bit, except for how dirty it is now after it being vacant for six years. There are none of our belongings here anymore since father used his "connections" to get them all delivered to our house in Breaux Bridge.

There are a couple of men in our living room, but when they see us walk in, they all leave respectfully.

And there, sitting on the kitchen counter, is a large, grey jar that I know holds my mom. Gale and I planned for this, but it doesn't make it any less hard.

I see Gale reach into his backpack and take out a little jar with intricate carvings on it, so I do the same. Gale and I agreed that we would each take some of the ashes, and then spread the rest some where else. The hard part of that is deciding what I would keep mine in.

After a lot of consideration, I made a decision, and I pull what I will use to hold the ashes in out of my bag. It is my special box. The same one that was my mother's and that I used to keep my razors in. It is the only place that I think would be fit to keep my part of her in.

Gale and I both put one third of the ashes in our containers of choice, then we seal them and put them back in our bags.

I grab the box, take one last look at the house, and then we all go back into the car. I don't look back once.

Gale and I decided easily where we would spread the rest of her, the choice was obvious.

We drive to the fence and then hop out of the car. We all slip under the fence easily, and all of the sudden it is like I have gone back in time.

I see the woods that my mom would always take us too and I truly feel at home. It's crazy I know, but I can feel that she is here with me.

We walk a little ways into the woods until we come to our tree. Our tree is what Gale and I would call the giant oak tree that we would spend hours in with our mom. She taught me so much in that tree. That's where she taught me to read, to write, and to play guitar.

It is a very windy day, so it is perfect. Gale and I look at each other and smile, then we go over and climb the tree until we get to the thickest branch. I look down and I see that our carving is still in the branch. It says Gale+Katniss+Mom. That almost makes me cry, but I hold it back. I sit in between Gale and Cato and Johanna sits on the other side of Gale. We don't say anything. My left hand links in Cato's, and my other helps Gale open the jar. With one final breath, Gale and I turn it over and pour the ashes over the side of the branch.

I see them get carried away by the wind, and this moment is so beautiful that I can't help the silent tears that run down my face.

We continue to sit and watch the ashes swirl around in the wind. We all have our arms wrapped around each others' shoulders. I love them all so much. I am crying, and they are a mix of sad and happy tears.

I don't think that I will ever cry from pure sadness again, but I know that if I do, I have so many people that will be here for me no matter what and nothing can change that.

10. 9. 8. 7.

I count down the seconds that I have left until the ashes are gone completely. By the time I get to seven, they are all gone. But that's okay, I still have my box full. I will always have that box no matter what.

6. 5. 4.

Gale and I smile, and together we through the jar down to the ground as hard as we can. The jar plummets to the ground and bursts into a million pieces when it makes contact with the dirt. We aren't going to pick up the pieces; we are going to leave them here so that anyone else who might happen upon this tree might see them. However, they won't know the gruesome story behind those pieces. All it will be are the shattered pieces of an ugly grey jar.

3. 2. 1.

We still sit in that tree together because none of use want to leave. I remember when I used to count down things in my head, I would be counting until the blow came. Now I know that no blow is coming, and no blow like the ones my father has given me will ever come again. I am safe, I am loved, and most of all, I am happy.

0.

**I like cried writing that. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! Okay, so I will be starting a new hunger games story. It is very different from this one and takes place in the books. However, if you like this one, I think you will like the other one. So please, be ready to check that out.**

**I love you all so so so much and I have had an AMAZING time writing this story!**

**-M**


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